The third round of the UCI Enduro World Cup is the first two-day race of the season. Wet weather and stormy conditions in the Dolomites force the organizers to cancel two physically demanding stages on the second day of racing. This leads to some surprising results.

Veteran rider Mélanie Pugin delivers a technical masterpiece, making up a 16-second deficit to claim her first victory in the UCI Enduro World Cup. In the men’s race, Tristan Botteram pushes himself to the limit on the final stage and edges out Tommaso Calonaci by less than a second in a thrilling finish.

The junior categories also provided plenty of excitement: Harper Nelmes rode to victory in the junior men’s race with a convincing performance on the final stage. Nežka Libnik delivered a flawless performance throughout the weekend and won the junior women’s competition.

In the team standings, Speed Project secured its third consecutive round victory and further extended its overall lead.

Botteram Delivers a Perfect Ride for a Narrow Victory

At the start of the second day of racing, Italy’s Tommaso Calonaci surprisingly led the men’s elite field by three seconds and was on course for the first podium finish of his career in the UCI Enduro World Cup. Reigning UCI Enduro World Champion Alex Rudeau is just three seconds behind, with Tristan Botteram following five seconds back, also within striking distance. Last year’s UCI Enduro World Cup overall champion, Sławomir Łukasik, also remains in contention for the win, trailing the leader by seven seconds.

A storm before the first stage of the day led to the cancellation of stages four, five, and six for the elite riders. As a result, the final 1.32-kilometer stage alone will decide the day’s winner.

The short and intense final stage presented challenging conditions in the wake of the storm. Botteram rides the race of his life and wins the stage by eight-tenths of a second over Lief Rogers, while Vojtech Bláha takes third place. Crucially, however, Botteram is 6.5 seconds faster than Calonaci, securing the overall victory by a margin of just six-tenths of a second.

After Tommaso Francardo won the first stage on Saturday, his consistent performance was enough to secure third place in the overall standings. Alex Rudeau dropped back to fifth place, while Sławomir Łukasik struggled on the final stage and finished the race in eleventh place. After three rounds, Rudeau continues to lead the overall standings ahead of Rogers and Francardo.

Pugin Delivers a Technical Masterclass and Turns the Race Around

Mélanie Pugin started the second day of racing in sixth place overall after losing 13 seconds on the first day. However, the Frenchwoman impressively turned the race around and mastered the steep and technically demanding 2.51-kilometer-long Titans Stage in impressive fashion.

Rain during the stage further increases the difficulty. The forested and rocky terrain, featuring a challenging rock garden, becomes particularly treacherous as a result. Pugin handles the conditions perfectly and sets a clear best time—twelve seconds faster than her nearest competitor.

Winnifred Goldsbury, who celebrated her first victory in the UCI Enduro World Cup in Saalfelden Leogang, also had to make up time. The 19-year-old New Zealander started the day in third place overall, twelve seconds behind the leader. Under pressure, she delivered a strong performance and finished the Titans Stage in second place, just seven seconds behind Pugin.

The leader after the first day of racing, Ella Conolly, opts for a slightly more cautious strategy on the day’s first stage, keeping the physically demanding stages to come in mind. She finishes third on the Titans Stage, losing 27 seconds to Pugin, and remains in a promising position in the race as the new second-place overall, just ten seconds behind the new leader.

The challenging conditions take their toll. Several riders lose significant time, including reigning UCI Enduro World Champion Elly Hoskins, who loses 52 seconds on the stage and thus effectively loses her chances at the overall victory. Shortly thereafter, the weather deteriorates further, leading to the cancellation of Stages 5 and 6. As a result, only the final Ciasates Stage will determine the race’s outcome.

The 1.3-kilometer-long stage combines fast sections, a short climb, and a technical descent through the forest, setting the stage for a thrilling finale. Pugin once again impresses on the technical terrain, winning this stage as well and securing the overall victory.

Hoskins fights back with a second-place finish on the stage, losing less than two seconds to Pugin, while Conolly crosses the finish line just over six seconds behind. In the overall standings, Pugin ultimately prevails comfortably with a 17-second lead over Conolly. Goldsbury confirms her strong form and finishes the race in third place.

Nelmes and Libnik claim victory in the junior categories

Hugo Marti Montessinos leads the junior race after the first day of competition with an 11-second lead, having pulled away on the first two stages. However, a crash in the Rock Garden of the Titans Stage cost the young rider valuable time. He lost eight seconds on that stage. His French compatriot Jules Janniaud kept his cool and won the stage, while Harper Nelmes crossed the finish line in second place, just four-tenths of a second behind. This reduced his deficit to just three seconds heading into the decisive final stage.

On the decisive 1.7-kilometer final stage, Tommy Bougon posted the day’s fastest time. He was four seconds faster than his competitors, securing fourth place overall. Behind him, Nelmes delivered a strong performance at exactly the right moment. By finishing third on the stage, he made up the deficit and secured the overall victory, while Marti Montessinos lost five crucial seconds. After three rounds, Marti Montessinos continues to lead the overall standings, 60 points ahead of Nelmes.

In the junior women’s category, Nežka Libnik had a perfect weekend, winning all five stages. The Slovenian further cemented her dominance on the Titans Stage, extending her lead by another 40 seconds. Elena Frei once again proves to be her strongest competitor in second place, while Romy Williams solidifies her third-place finish overall.

Libnik ultimately crowns her flawless performance with a victory on the final Ciasates Stage and wins the overall classification by a commanding margin of 2 minutes and 20 seconds ahead of Frei. Williams rounds out the podium in third place.

Val di Fassa Standings