The family atmosphere at the enduro races, which was so highly stylized, has already evaporated to a certain extent due to the professionalization of the sport. The atmosphere is still good, but on the other hand there is no standardized race format despite the professional orientation. Enduro can be defined, but not narrowed down. In other words, the formats are fundamentally different. While the athletes had to complete the entire race in one day under their own steam at the first event, some of the races in France were spread over two days and the entire ascent was carried out using mountain railroads. The fourth round of the Enduro World Series works in a similar way. There, the participants only had to pedal a short distance from the mountain station to the start in some cases.

At the event in Winterpark, the five downhill stages are spread over three days. The enduro riders ride the race stages in the morning and train for the next day's stages in the afternoon. By comparison, in France the stages are announced three days before the race. In Italy, they are announced a month in advance. This proved to be the most unfair option as not all participants, including some professionals, had the opportunity to train the routes weeks before the race. This was also clearly reflected in the individual classifications.The fact that the fastest riders in the overall standings start first is still an unfortunate solution. Once the winners have crossed the finish line, the tension disappears and the poorer riders hardly get any attention. So much for the "enduro spirit". The organizers need to reconsider this point carefully, otherwise the spirit of this great discipline will soon vanish into thin air. The organizers also need to rethink their rules and implement them correctly. This beautiful sport has no use for the bad blood that occurred at the sixth race in Val d'Isère, when the organizers made flimsy decisions.After these races, however, it is fair to say that even a World Series does not need a precisely defined mode. It can simply be adapted to the local conditions. Where there are mountain railroads, you can integrate them as support. Where there are none, the entire race, including the connecting stages, is completed under your own steam. However, the endurance factor should not be neglected, nor should it be a six-hour enduro marathon like the opening race in Italy. In general, a good balance between physical and technical demands was found in the five races.www.enduroworldseries.com