Enduro2 Meribel 1-3 July 2023 – Registrations Open 1 January
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Pairs-Format Enduro Stage Racing will return for a second year to its current home of Meribel next summer.
400 riders will descend on Meribel at the centre of the 3-Valleys domain (the biggest connected ski-resort in the world), for a 3-Day weekend of Enduro action together with a heavy dose of ‘apres-bike’ parties and all-round good times.
Registration opens on 1 January 2023 at http://www.enduro2.fr
Enduro2 has grown a large and diverse international following which certainly adds to the inclusive and friendly vibe during the event. At any Enduro2 you can expect to join a start list with a broad range of age & nationalities.
In its endless hunt for epic single-track trails mixed with good-time party vibes, Enduro2 has held several editions in destinations including Les Arcs, France; Davos, Switzerland; and even Nelson, New Zealand. But no matter the location, Enduro2 has remained consistent in its reliable formula of a heavy reliance on ski-lift-access for the liaisons, and using this height advantage to create long, single track-biased race stages that are predominantly away from machine-built bike-park-style tracks with their tabletops, and man-made berms.
Enduro2’s familiar ‘blind-racing’ format (no practise allowed) will be again employed at the Meribel event, with 15 big stages and well over 10,000m of descent over the 3 days. Pairs-format racing is particularly suited to the no practice format, since the lead rider really does need to work as a team together with his or her partner, in order to read the trail and “telegraph” what they are seeing ahead of them, to their partner following immediately behind. Imaginative team-tactics can often be the key to an advantage – or more likely, to having a good laugh at the end of the stage about how it didn’t quite go to plan!
Organiser Ali Jamieson has even out the Trans-Savoie Multi-Day Enduro on hold next year, in order to have more time to concentrate efforts on Enduro2.
“I’m totally convinced by the Pairs-Format. For me, it’s just such a great way to ride and race since the ‘sharing of good times’ element of every ride I do is possibly the biggest factor in terms of enjoyment. Enduro2 puts that perspective front-and-centre not only on the liaisons and in post-race parties, but during the actual stages, too. I’m keen to develop this event to make it accessible to as many riders as possible, to come together from all over Europe for one big celebration of all the best things about Enduro…but in an open format that is in no way ‘exclusive’ or pretentious… and of course, without losing any focus on the course itself – namely quality Alpine single-track, and lots of it!”
“The teams in Meribel the wider valley have taken a pro-active, shared-use approach; which fortunately for us mean they encourage MTB-access to the 100’s of Km of incredible singletrack & shared-use trails in this vast lift-accessible area. This is in addition to their massive purpose-built bike park that doesn’t see a lot of traffic certainly when compared to other better-known Alpine resorts.”
“A key enabler to allow us to put together a ‘ dream’ itinerary crammed into only three days, was to agree a special, one-off opening of the impressive Olympe Telecabine lift (which normally remains closed in the summer season). With this lift at our exclusive disposal, we’re able to access an extra vertical-km’s worth of singletrack below Meribel resort, all the way to the Spa town of Brides Les Bains at 572m altitude.
Combine these two lifts with the Dozen other high-speed lifts that connect these 3 huge valleys in summer and you’ll understand why I feel confident that everyone who signs-up is going to be blown-away with the scale and variety of the route we’ve worked out.
ESSENTIAL INFO
Dates: Saturday 1st to Monday 3rd July 2023
Location: Meribel & The 3 Valleys, Savoie, France
15 Huge timed stages, ski-lift assisted liaisons
10,000m+ total descent; (<1200m total ascent).
Varied terrain: Man-Made Bike Park (30%) & Natural Alpine Singletrack (70%)
Race between 468m & 2752m Altitude
Technical Difficulty: Intermediate & Experienced riders (Blue, Red & Black trails)
No mandatory jumps/drops
No Course Practise – Ride 100% on-sight
Relaxed Format & Strong Focus on off-bike / social aspect.
REGISTRATION
Standard Entry is €239 per riders (entries in teams of 2)
Entry Includes 3-Day Lift Pass, Restaurant Lunches each day, End-of-Race Party, & Free Covered Parking all weekend
A range of Accommodation and airport transfer options from Geneva are offered to purchase alongside your race registration.
Race Categories include Teams-of-2 and E-bike options.
Registration opens on 1 January 2022 at http://www.enduro2.fr
