How to tell the humdingers from the hum-drum
Those Europeans know how to put on a cracking enduro race… well, they invented the concept, after all.
The trails will be long, the mountains high and the food and drink something special, but with so many out there how can you tell which one’s right for you? Just read our guide and find out.
>>> Check out the best Enduro mountain bikes, tested and rated by mbr
Davos Enduro2
Dates: September 23-25
Expect: alpine singletrack, massive descents and… smooth spa-soft skin?!
You’ve heard of Enduro2, right? That friendliest of enduro events where you race with your best mate around Les Arcs, France. Well now there’s a new version around Davos in Switzerland.
It’s the same concept: you and you team mate set off together on each special stage, and the clock stops when the second rider crosses the line.
There’s an exclusive element to the Davos race too (very proper, given how swanky Davos is). Pay more money for the VIP treatment and you’ll be able to shred trails as per usual during the day, before being whisked off to a three-star hotel in Davos, Switzerland.
Enduro2 in France is still happening too, on June 24-26 at Les Arcs. There are 15 timed stages, uplift-assisted liaisons and a massive 12,000m+ of descent. Just like Davos, there’s no practice allowed, so it’s a real test of reading trails and terrain, or blind riding.
You can enter at trailAddiction.com/Enduro2
Belgian Enduro Cup
Dates: TBC
Expect: natural forest singletrack, amazing and strong beer, a sore head the morning after
Belgium?! What the…?! That was our response to the idea of riding enduro on Belgium until we went there last year and sampled the amazing riding on offer.
Belgium isn’t flat as a pancake, there are modest hills to the east and huge forests sheltering some brilliant trails.
Typical of the trails we found during our visit to Malmedy, Belgium
Which race in the series to pick then? We liked the riding around Remouchamps so the Enduro Amblève is perhaps the pick of the lot… that said the venues and dates are undecided for 2017, so keep your eyes on the Belgian Enduro Cup page.
The little video above is from Remouchamps by the way.
Megavalanche
Dates: July 3-9
Expect: an hour of exhilaration, start-line terror, arm pump and lung burn
The race that started it all, the Megavalanche is considered by many to be the first enduro race. It’s basically a big free-for-all, a mass-start that sees two thousand riders launch themselves down the glacier on Alpe D’Huez.
Sounds like fun, right?
It’s definitely exhilarating and certainly thrilling ride that some people might call fun! We like that the race runs for an entire week and entry gets you a lift pass too, making it something of a bargain.
>>> Prepare for the Megavalanche with nine simple tips
Mountain of Hell
Dates: June 30 – July 2
Expect: arm pump, terrifying glacier start
Mountain Of Hell is a bit like the famous MegAvalanche but on a different mountain and not quite so done-to-death.
Mountain Of Hell starts up near the top of a mountain in the northern part of the French Alps. On the glacier of Les 2 Alpes to be exact. 2,600m of descent and 20km later the finish line is in the alpine town of Venosc.
Trans Provence
Dates: June 17-24
Expect: Some of the best trails in the world, camaraderie with fellow racers
The Trans Provence is a week-long enduro stage race set in the French mountains from the High Alps to the Mediterranean Sea. It’s billed as “the original alpine MTB rally”.
>>> Lehikoinen goes rim riding on day five of the Trans-Provence (VIDEO)
It’s been going since 2009 and has a reputation as one of The Must-Do Events to stick on your bucket list. “It is more about the adventure than the time on the clock” as the organisers explain.