<b>So much different terrain out here. Wild roots and fresh cut off-camber like only France can deliver. Rude decimating on his way to his first-ever Enduro World Series race win.</b> -Sven Martin
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<b>Youth wins over experience...this time. </b> -Sven Martin
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<b>Tracy Moseley had a rather "easy" win this weekend and suprisingly finds herself far ahead of her main rivals only halfway through the EWS season.</b> -Lee Trumpore
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<b>Tracey Moseley dropping in first early this morning. </b> -Sven Martin
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<b>Nico up top on Stage 1 this morning. So close to another EWS win in his home country, but was not to be. </b> -Sven Martin
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<b>Nico nursing his bike home, not able to pedal with full power after clipping his pedal on a corner and ripping the BB shell apart. </b> -Sven Martin
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<b>Nico's finish line woes.</b> -Sven Martin
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<b>The damage to Vouilloz's swingarm from his crank and chainring tells the story of seconds lost on the final stage.</b> -Lee Trumpore
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<b>MTB's greatest with MTB's future great.</b> -Lee Trumpore
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<b>Cecile Ravenel blending in nicely with the natural mulch on Stage 1 today. 2nd place for the weekend. </b> -Sven Martin
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<b>Fabien won three of the five stages this weekend. Quite a feat considering Richie didn't win one.</b> -Sven Martin
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<b>Fabien Barel suffered through Saturday's stages but must have turned himself inside out to win both stages today and claw back enough time to take the last podium spot.</b> -Lee Trumpore
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<b>Anneke Beerten looked completely at ease with the Samoens tracks all weekend and landed on the podium for the first time this season. 3rd place.</b> -Lee Trumpore
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<b>Elite Women's Podium shower.</b> -Sven Martin
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<b>Junior winner, Adrien Dailly shreds the best light of the day. He would have slotted in 28th among the Elite Men, just ahead of the #vanzacs.</b> -Lee Trumpore
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<b>Riders and mechanics have a special relationship few will ever understand, but the moment Shaun Hughes found out Richie won offers a brief glimpse.</b> -Lee Trumpore
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<b>How many people have gone head-to-head with Nico Vouilloz and prevailed? Go Richie!</b> -Lee Trumpore
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<b>Thomas Lapeyrie headed straight from the finish to the hospital to get checked out for possible internal injuries suffered on the first stage of the day (losing 17-seconds to Barel). Somehow he still managed to tough it out for 3rd on the final stage and 5th overall. #NoF*cksGiven</b> -Lee Trumpore
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<b>Knocking at the door in 4th, it's just a matter of time before Isabeau Courdurier lands on the podium.</b> -Lee Trumpore
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<b>5th place Ines Thoma on the rider's favorite stage. </b> -Sven Martin
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<b>Possibly the best small bike handler on the planet, Florian Nicolai is going to win an EWS round soon enough, but this weekend he had to settle for 4th.</b> -Lee Trumpore
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<b>Melanie Pugin was on the Junior World Champs podium in 2008 with a bronze medal. Here she placed 6th seven years later. </b> -Sven Martin
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<b>Scoping lines or watching the clown show? The women look on while the media squids take to the track.</b> -Lee Trumpore
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<b>Media Squids #BarDragAndFakeRoostOff World Champs today while we waited for riders. Just think of hashtag length when sponsors are paying to get their name on the titles of these events!</b> -Sven Martin
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<b>We almost saw the peak of Mont Blanc this morning as Yoann Barelli shares the stoke. </b> -Sven Martin
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<b>Blenki powered on to a 7th place today. Not bad for a full-time downhiller. I think he still wants more and he really enjoys the EWS races.</b> -Sven Martin
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<b>Grubby Graves had plenty of crashes this weekend but still finished with a good 6th place result, all things considered.</b> -Sven Martin
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<b>Dan Atherton laying it on the line, foot out flat out. </b> -Sven Martin
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<b>Lorraine Truong had a big crash on the first stage today. She made it down the last stage but looks like a bit of a concussion was incurred. One of the best bike handlers out of all the women and a full-time engineer at BMC, too. </b> -Sven Martin
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<b>2nd place and EWS Series leader in the Masters class, Woody Hole tearing up the natural turns on Stage 1 today.</b> -Sven Martin
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<b>Bergamont teammates, Rupert Chapman on the left and Joe Nation on the right, started the day 30 and 31st. Today it was all on the line for team bragging rights. Rupert ended up in 27th and Nation in 35th. #3nakedmen</b> -Sven Martin
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<b>Matti Lehikoinen really let his hair down this weekend and walked away with his first Top 20 result.</b> -Lee Trumpore
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<b>Ham, chicken, cheese, sirop, fruit, cake, veggies, sausage - all free for the riders. </b> -Sven Martin
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<b>Gazzy B is still a bit loopy from his carbon monoxide poisoning incident on the drive to Leogang, all while sharing a van with Al Stock for the weekend. You can't keep style down.</b> -Lee Trumpore
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<b>Matt Walker gets the consolation prize for most-Improved, moving from 46th on Saturday to 26th overall today. All on a DH bike!</b> -Lee Trumpore
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<b>Josh Carlson. #doyouevenfootdragbro</b> -Lee Trumpore
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<b>Honestly, with calves like that what rock would dare mess with Wildhaber's kneecaps?</b> -Lee Trumpore
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<b>The moment he crossed the line Nico Vouilloz's face said it all. A few dozen seconds of waiting only confirmed what he already knew.</b> -Lee Trumpore
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<b>That sweet relief of a long-time goal accomplished. Well done Richie! </b> -Sven Martin
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<b>Big dogs at the end of a big day.</b> -Sven Martin
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<b>Signing off from France! Au revoir.</b> -Sven Martin -- Sven and Lee, thanks once again for the letting us feel like we're trackside during the adventure and drama of the EWS! -gordo
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Description
Richie Rude wins his first-ever Enduro World Series race at the ripe age of 20. In a nail-biting battle that came down to the wire, the young American was able to best one of mountain biking's greatest racers of all time, Nicolas Vouilloz. Tracy Moseley took a convincing win among the Elite Women putting the rest of the field in a points choke hold only halfway through the season.
Sven Martin and Lee Trumpore take us trackside for the action and adventure through photos and interviews.
Race Day Highlights
- Richie crashed on almost every stage but still clawed back time all weekend and took the overall win without winning a single stage.
- Both he and Nico knew they were only .20 of a second apart going into the final stage.
- Nico crossed the line with look on his face that said it all. He struck a rock with his crank exiting a corner at full gas. His bottom bracket area was damaged significantly impacting pedaling. While he stayed on his bike the damage was done.
View replies to: Enduro World Series, Samoens Stages 4-5 Race Action Slideshow
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