Martin Maes (Orbea Fox Enduro Team) finished 5th, just 7 seconds away from the podium, while Barbora Průdková (Challenge One) took a very good 6th place in the women’s category.
The second round of the Enduro World Cup was held in Derby (Australia), after the inaugural race in Maydena (Tasmania) the previous week. The weekend in Derby started in extremely muddy conditions, with the competitors having to practice all the special stages in these conditions, although the race was finally held in dry conditions.
In the Elite Men’s category, Martin Maes (Orbea Fox Enduro Team) gave a sign of what to expect from one of the best riders on the planet. Martin was less than 7 seconds away from the podium after nearly half an hour of racing. He was especially strong in the last two special stages, showing that when the more demanding races arrive, with more timed sections, he can aim higher. His 5th place finish was thanks to his consistency, with four top ten finishes in the six special stages of the day giving him a good haul of points in the UCI MTB Enduro World Cup overall classification. His teammates didn’t have the best weekend, with Vid Persak in 52nd position and Edgar Carballo in 69th.
In the Elite Women’s category, Czech rider Barbora Průdková (Challenge One) had an excellent race, despite this being her first year competing in this discipline, finishing in a creditable 6th place. Barbora set top ten times in all the special stages, with the third best time in one. Meanwhile, Mélanie Pugin (WeRide Fulgur Factory Team) and Florencia Espiñeira (Orbea Fox Enduro Team) did not have their best performances, finishing in 15th and 17th position respectively.
All Galfer Bike representatives were using the new 180 mm and 203 mm “Disc Shark®” brake discs, together with Advanced G1851 brake pads for wet conditions and Pro G1554T for dry conditions.
There is now a long competitive break in the UCI MTB Enduro World Cup, which doesn’t return until June, in Europe, with the Finale Outdoor Region race.
