UPDATED with Women's Race Winner. History officially made at Mont-Sainte-Anne with the first e-MTB World Championships race.
It's official. Electric power-assist bike racing is an actual UCI Mountain Bike World Championships event and now has first-time gold medal winners. When the UCI first announced the event, plenty of Vital viewers had opinions. Vital member yzedf comically said competitors should ride up the DH course and down the fire roads. That didn't happen.
As the World Champs week kicked off, the UCI said the format of e-MTB racing is "bringing together so many disciplines," which, when we look at the competitor list, is technically true. Racers from XC to enduro to 4x to downhill threw their hats into the ring, whether for glory and fame or novelty. The pointy end of the results sheet was predictably XC racers like Julien Absalon, Miguel Martinez, Sauser, Kulhavy and Marco Fontana, but Loic Bruni's dad, who's an experienced e-bike racer and won a Masters World Champs DH jersey last week, entered, Anneke Beerten hit the women's class, and even Wyn Masters was on the start list (it has to be good vlog material). Diversity achieved with the inaugural event. Exciting racing future ahead? TBD. Regardless, today's e-bike World Championships was an improvement over that FIM joke.
Bike power was maxed out at 250 watts and motors stopped assisting racers at 25mph. Competitors hit the 6km course for four laps and about a power hour of racing. Battery changes or charges were not permitted. Results below. Does the format have merit? Are we tired of worrying about e-bikes? Are you riding one?
Harry_David
9/19/2019 7:50 PM
You need a UCI Elite International license and some riding chops. Not so easy as you think.
styriabeef
8/30/2019 3:49 PM
How did they qualify? 4 racers finishing in the women's. Wtf? Regardless of E, I don't think any sport with a 4racer deep field should have world championships. Men's with 40 isn't a lot neither. This is forced by the industry. I can't help it. Why, why do we do that. Please ignore it.
matmattmatthew
8/29/2019 12:12 PM
Is this really the kind of thing that bike companies think will bring new people to the sport?
sspomer
8/29/2019 9:03 AM
sven grabbed an audio interview w/ the women's winner which is now in the article above. take a listen. does it change your thoughts?
LLLLL
8/29/2019 12:06 AM
So someone really fit won it then?
Ahab
8/29/2019 7:50 AM
Forced to wear the scarlet letter "E" all next season
Lankycrank
8/28/2019 9:52 PM
Definitely the wrong format for e-MTB racing. If they tried a 6-hour, 'carry your spare batteries' enduro alpine crossing, then maybe... just maybe...
55+mxinsanity
8/28/2019 8:27 PM
Crap, I ought to have READ the topic before I clicked- roflmao
Stiksandstones
8/28/2019 1:31 PM
I want my 45 seconds of life back, from reading this post.
Hollywood Gainey
8/28/2019 5:27 PM
E-bike in headline : Your mind told your index finger to click the mouse. The question is..do you cut your finger off, or shoot your brains out?
Ahab
8/28/2019 1:30 PM
VAN DEN BOOGER in 8th place. Wyn Masters 19 spots further up the nostril. Pour one out for the 3 dudes stranded on track when their batteries died. Hope they get a jump soon.
ryan_daugherty
8/28/2019 1:18 PM
This makes me feel like I have a hair in the back of my throat.
metadave
8/28/2019 12:49 PM
I'll let my avatar do the talking