After a delayed start and a restructured season, the EWS shifts gears again, cancelling the remaining rounds and ending with a finale in Finale.
The EWS organisers have announced that the 2020 series will end in Finale Ligure, with two back to back weekends of racing.
First up is the pro-only race, where Pietra Ligure will make its EWS debut. The Vittoria EWS Pietra Ligure, alongside the Vittoria EWS-E Pietra Ligure, will take place over the weekend of 19-20th September. From there the series moves a few kilometres north up the coast to the more familiar territory of Finale, for the Bluegrass EWS Finale Ligure and Rider Trophy, taking place on September 25-26.
That will spell the end of EWS racing this year, with the scheduled rounds in October in Montagnes du Caroux, France and Petzen Jamnica in Austria and Slovenia, being cancelled following discussions with their organisers. Riders entered into the cancelled races will be contacted directly.
Chris Ball, Managing Director of the Enduro World Series, said: “We’ve finished our season on the iconic coastal trails of Finale Ligure since the sport’s international launch in 2013. With the addition of a double EWS and EWS-E and a whole new trail network and community in Pietra Ligure, Liguria is going to provide some incredible racing later this month.
“It’s with this positive spirit and support from our local and industry partners around the world that we have made the decision to wrap up a challenging year for everyone in what has become our spiritual home. We’ve shown that we can host international bike races in this era and learned a lot that has empowered us for 2021. A heartfelt thank you to everyone for the support and we look forward to four great bike races here in Pietra and Finale to round out 2020.”
As well as being affected by COVID-19 and all its travel restrictions, Chris Ball has always had the environmental impact of racing and riding in his sights, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see changes coming in 2021 that might see a little less essential travel as part of next year’s format.
For now, let’s hope they get those final rounds of the EWS in. Place your bets – alongside those of whether the Tour de France makes it all the way to Paris, if Crankworx Innbruck happens and… erm… is there anything else actually still on the calendar?
