Hans Rey and Danny MacAskill Open New Trails In And Around Livigno

Livigno (ITA), July 21^st 2015 – Livigno is expanding: as of last week the Italian bike resort has three new trails on its extensive bike map. On Thursday, a new route was opened in Val Minor, an important link between Livigno and Switzerland. On Saturday, Livigno’s longterm testimonial Hans Rey and friend, Danny MacAskill took the chance to test the two new flow trails located on the Carosello 3000 mountain.

Up and over: the new mountain pass from Livigno to Switzerland is 5.8 km/ 3.1 mi long and starts at the top of the Forcola Pass on the Swiss-Italian border. Riders can enjoy a last refreshment at the mountain hut before taking on the new trail with its 180 m/ 590 ft climb which takes about 50 minutes to reach the famous Ospizio Bernina station. Livigno and the two Swiss municipalities Poschiavo and Pontresina have successfully added a new mountain pass to the old demanding trails which took up to 4 hours to complete. This magical route is surrounded by untouched nature and stunning views of the glacier Vadret da Palu and its lake.

Having tested the new connecting trail with a bunch of bikers earlier in the week, Hans Rey took part in the official opening of the flow country trail at Carosello 3000 with non other than friend and fellow trials rider, Danny MacAskill. It is the first time Danny has come back to Livigno since 2012 when he last rode here with Hans “No Way” Rey. Together the two biking icons took laps on the new "Coast to Coast" (6 km/ 3.7 mi) and "Rollercoaster" (4 km/ 2.5 mi) trails. Their fine-tuned sequence of rhythmic jumps and berms give cyclists the feeling of ultimate flow and enjoyment.

In cooperation with Hans Rey and the flow country expert Diddie Schneider the local Alberto Clement and his crew have shaped a route that is ideal for both beginners and advanced riders. At the opening day, invited guests were impressed by the fun factor and readiness of the trails. "We worked hard but I’m really happy about the way Carosello 3000 have built the trails”, says Hans Rey. “You can recognize it’s real flow country because you look at the people’s face and they are smiling when they arrive at the bottom. We already have 10 km and it’s just the beginning. Livigno is one of the best places in the world for mountain biking and now we have all kind of trails." Danny MacAskill also liked the two new trails: "For me it’s always awesome to be here in Livigno. I rode already with Hans all over the valley and now riding the flow country trails as a pro rider I had the same enjoyment. I hope to be back again soon."

The flow trail project is far from over: further sections are in the planning. Another 4 km/ 2.5 mi trail will be already completed in mid-August. Check out that clip to get a taste of the new flow trails: https://youtu.be/-BQsQH2mu1g

Eager bikers should not waste any time coming to Livigno: the first event on the new trail takes place on August 2^nd. As part of the Adventure Awards Festival (July 27^th – August 2^nd), the 3K Up & Down race is presented by the Adventure Awards, Carosello 3000 and crankbrothers. The principle is simple: 1 Pro-Rider, 100 participants, 2 lifts, a 13 km/ 8 mi long trail and 7 hours to ride as much as possible. How many times can you take the lift up and bike down in 7 hours? So gear up and we look forward to seeing you in Livigno!

To find out more about what Livigno can offer please visit: www.livigno.eu or www.facebook.com/LivignoFeelTheAlps .

Justin Leov's Diary Episode 4 - EWS Samoens

EWS Samoens

July 2015

The Weekends You Have to Fight

Preparations for Samoëns couldn't really have gone much better for me. I've had plenty of good riding in Finale both on and off road and temperatures have been in the mid to high 30's every day so it's been great for getting used to the heat.

Family life has also been great with Tory and Luca settled into our apartment and getting into the Italian way of life. We have had the opportunity to experience a Sagra in the village and plenty of local experiences of both food and culture.

So leaving for France I was in a good head space and excited to be back into the Alps on the longer more demanding courses. These are typically my favorite courses of the series and my preferred racing format for Enduro.

The weather was looking good once we arrived but forecasts suggested we could be in for a thunder storm or two over the weekend. From previous time spent in the Alps I've experienced this all too well and knew what to expect. It was going to be important to have both dry and wet weather eyewear ready to go at all times. I've been caught out without the right eyewear before and it can be a costly mistake so I had my Roll Offs, ID2 goggles with the dual lense to handle the cold or hot conditions and my Evil Eyes Evos all setup ready on standby for what ever was going to be thrown at us.

Being able to walk only one stage of the course this year was a new aspect to this style of racing for me. The stage we walked would be raced without a practice so again a new format which would be an interesting challenge.

I felt a bit rushed actually when race day one came around. I'd spent the day before running about the town getting organized and the day seemed to disappear quicker than expected. Actually finding stage 3 to walk took longer than planned and then hopping into bed knowing I needed to be at the pits at 7:15am was all a bit rush rush rush. I was running a million miles an hour in my head and sleep wasn't coming, one of those nights you wished to have an on/off switch.

Up early for the first day of racing and on the lift for a practice run on stage one. This would be a physical and demanding course, but I was excited as it would be a tough one on the body and serious time could be made. A totally dry course which had rocks, roots, fast and slow sections a real mix. Looking at the sky it was black and temperatures just started to drop...I knew what was coming!

Yet before I left the pits for race stage 1 the rain started and as we were half way up the gondola ride the lift was shut down as thunder and lightning began. Waiting in the lift when you see that kind of activity around is always a bit of a nervous time. They won't run the lift until the storm clears and you could be waiting a long time. We were lucky this time and within 10 minutes we were away again and the sky looked like the storm would be passing soon and fine weather would follow. A bit of a course delay would also hold up things so to get everyone through the day, one stage was cut from the race.

Dropping into stage one I started on the attack. The roots in the dry were slippery and having not practiced in the wet there were some bits you needed to hold on for. I felt really good and my run was going to plan when I came to a wooden bridge which prior to an uphill section. As soon as my wheels touched the bridge I knew I was going to crash and I hit the ground hard. My saddle was twisted and I had to knock that back straight before taking off again. Due to this bring before an uphill section I had no speed and was forced to run it. Now the heart rate was on red line and I needed to be fast and clean for the rest of the run. Coming out of the woods for an open section of grass there was a helicopter picking up the injured rider that had been our course hold. It was extremely windy and the course tape and grass was blowing everywhere. Slightly distracted for a second wondering what was happening I misjudged the next corner and could see I was either going to clip the marker pole or go through the tape. Aiming for the pole I hoped to shoulder it and carry on but it jammed between my forks and bars and I was thrown over the handle bars and onto the ground. Getting up I noticed my stem and bars were twisted so I kicked the front wheel to try straighten it out. Nothing with the first two kicks, and the third buckled my front wheel so I jumped on and tried to finish the run with it twisted. I was gutted, it was almost impossible to ride and I was a lot further from the finish than I thought. I didn't hear a rider catching me coming into the finish but Jerome had caught me and he was third off so that meant I had lost a minute!!!

Riding back to the pits I was totally gutted, my weekend had gone from hero to zero on the first stage! I needed to ride fast in every stage now and there was no chance to crash again, and the body was feeling the effects of the tumbles. I pressed the reset button and went up for a practice on stage 2. This was a shorter more DH style stage, I really liked the dropping turns and it was a lot of fun to ride. You needed big brakes and clear vision on this one! With the sun now out again the conditions were also improving and it would be less slippery for the race so things were looking up!

The heat had returned for stage 2 race. On the line it would have been around 30 degrees and I was keen to push on for a fast run. Things went to plan and crossing the line I had put in a solid stage to finish 4th. This was a much better effort this time but still some work to do.

Now onto stage 3 this was a 40min ride from the pits with no lift access to the start; this was the stage we walked yesterday. To be honest it was a stage I knew would be my weakest link for the weekend, it had some fun sections but I knew it wouldn't be a race winning stage for me. Being 1.9km in length I planned to ride it smooth and not let a mistake cost me with any crashes.

Dropping in things were going well but I was braking too much and fighting the bike in sections. Hitting my rear derailleur on a tight switchback corner didn't help either and now I had only had the biggest gear to deal with. Entering the main rocky area I braked quickly as there was someone on course walking up! With everyone yelling at her I actually thought she was trying to stop me as a rider has fallen. Not the case, she didn't know I was on course and soon jumped off. I finished out the run disappointed in my stage and losing another 11 seconds. What a day!!!

Going into day two I was sitting 17th overall and I had the series lead slipping from my grasp. My goal now was to attack and try get some positions back. If I could get closer to the top ten then maybe I could keep the series lead and that was my principle motivation for day two.

Stage 4 was a longer stage, a good mix again of everything and very freshly built. It would be a stage to push on but also one to respect as the tight switch back corners would be hard to ride on the limit without a moment or two. I set off smooth and made sure to be slow enough for the danger bits. One small misjudgment and I couldn't slow the bike down enough to make a corner....not crashing but I went through the tape. I pulled the bike back on course and didn't lose a lot of time. The rocks were coming out of the corners and the blown out lines were hard to push on without risking a lot. Another corner caught me out and this time my front wheel pushed and down I went. I was up super fast and able to finish the run without any more problems. I was able to still put in a top ten finish for the stage so with one more to go I needed to keep up the pace but be on two wheels!!

Stage 5 was a middle length stage and I liked the style a lot. Fast, some great rocky sections and a lot going on. I hit my lines all the way down and put in a good effort to be clean. Another top ten finish but not what I had hoped. I'd certainly fought some battles this weekend and came out second best a few times so to see I had at least pulled myself back to 12th overall was something positive to take away. Richie Rude put in an impressive ride to take his first overall victory so I was stoked for him, and I knew he would be getting closer to me in the series points. A quick math calculation would reveal I had managed to keep the series lead by 40 points so that was another positive for me to take away.

Heading to Colorado it's going to be some exciting weeks of racing coming up. France you have been a tough one to me!!

Words by Justin Leov.

2016 Lapierre Zesty

Mondraker Introduces The 2016 Carbon Dune

The new Dune Carbon will make you take on your next Enduro race with the ultimate bike on the market. Here is the perfect blend between the Cross Country climbing ability and the performance of a Summum going downhill... Go full gas and enjoy your Dune Day.

Dune Carbon combines the best lightness and efficiency qualities of the Foxy Carbon with the top features of Summum Carbon: a very structurally robust frameset suited adapted to the Enduro racing demands.

A new lower link with collet-axle pivots and bolts with expander cone washers that offer maximum reliability without any maintenance needs and the choice to adjust its geometry, slacken the head angle and chain stay length.

Professional Enduro races such as the EWS require not only a good physical condition, but also the most complete bike. For these reasons, besides our best Stealth Carbon frameset with our exclusive Forward Geometry and optimized Zero suspension system with 160mm rear wheel travel, the bike also offers the option of choosing the head tube angle with + 1 / -1 ° and chain stay length in 430mm or 440mm. The result speaks for itself: Dune Carbon is the most sophisticated and advanced multiadjustable Enduro bike of the moment.

Mondraker Dune Carbon is the representation and culmination of the currently most complete Enduro racing bike. A sophisticated frameset with unique features weighting just 2,450 grams (5.4lbs) without rear shock. Mondraker’s best technologies applied to the ultimate Enduro race bike.

The characteristics of the Stealth Carbon technology are curved and rounded shapes, which are clearly visible and make its impressive appearance even more striking.

Dune Carbon stands out from the rest with exceptional structural rigidity denoting its careful craftsmanship and the studied positioning of each and every one of the carbon layers that make it up.

What stands out above all is our Vacuum Compression Process method, through which the frame undergoes a process of fiber compression through a vacuum at high pressure: This method guarantees the reliability of the structure, achieving results in terms of strength and rigidity that are greater than those for fibers only applied manually.

The Dune Carbon features a new optimization of the Zero system, specially optimized to offer the best performance with 1X gearings with the most neutral pedaling performance and the most capable rear suspension.

Thanks to the Stealth Carbon construction and the new bearings and oversized axles of the Zero system, the Dune Carbon offers a better performance and a supreme efficiency for a racing Enduro bike to be more agile, suppler and faster. Virtually the same Summum Carbon performance for an Enduro model.

Forward Geometry is based on a geometry concept that features longer top tubes in combination with a shorter stem.

Dune Carbon is assembled with the FG30 30mm length stem for the three models R, RR and XR and for the 4 sizes: S, M, L and XL. Optionally, FG10 and FG20 stems are offered too.

The advantages of Forward Geometry lay on a better control of your bike, superior handling, stability and higher confidence, which are key facts in an Enduro Bike when it comes to beating our time against the clock.

Geometry

Dune Carbon is available in 4 different sizes: S, M, L and XL. Dune Carbon XR and its frameset kit include the adjustable geometry kit to steepen or slacken the head angle (+1º/-1º) and chain stays 430mm or 440mm.

Specs                          Dune Carbon XR

1	frame	Dune Stealth full Carbon Zero Suspension System FG 160mm
2	sizes	S: 380mm / M: 420mm / L: 470mm / XL: 510mm
3	rear shock	Fox Float X2 Factory Kashima 215x63.5mm
4	fork	Fox 36 27'5 Float HSC LSC FIT Factory Kashima 15mm Tapered 170mm
5	headset	FSA Nº42 ACB Bearings integrated Tapered 1-1/8"->1/5"
6	stem	Onoff Stoic FG 35mm
7	handlebar	Onoff Stoic UD Carbon 0,5" rise 780mm
8	grips	Onoff Diamond, 1lock-on, 130mm
9	seatpost	RockShox Reverb Stealth 31.6mm
10	saddle	SDG Circuit MTN, high density PU foam, TI-crmo rails, black cordura sides
11	front brake	Sram Guide RSC 180mm
12	rear brake	Sram Guide RSC 180mm
13	levers	Sram Guide RSC Forged alloy lever with bearing lever pivot
14	rims	Mavic Crossmax Pro XL LTD 27'5 23mm internal width, tubeless. 24H
15	spokes	Mavic Zicral, straight pull, round
16	front hub	Mavic Crossmax XL, alloy axle, adjustable sealed bearings, 15mm
17	rear hub	Mavic Crossmax XL alloy axle 12x142mm XXD 1x11 Rear axle DT RWS
18	tires	F: Crossmax Charge XL Ltd Front 2.4 / R: Crossmax Quest XL Ltd Rear 2.4
19	crackset	Sram X01, 24mm spindle, 94 BCD, 170mm, 32T X-SYNK chainring
20	bottom bracket	Sram GXP XR, sealed bearings, 73mm
21	pedals	/
22	chain	Sram PCX1 11s
23	front derailleur	/
24	rear derailleur	Sram X01 Type2 1x11s carbon long cage X-Horizon actuation
25	shifters	Sram Trigger X01 11s, carbon. X-Actuation, Zero Loss Technology
26	cassette	Sram PG-1180, 10-42T 11s, XXD freehub only
27	weight w/o pedals	12.9kg

Mondraker Dune Carbon

Vitus Bikes Gravity Enduro Ireland Round 2

Ireland's Enduro crazy mountain bikers descended upon Ballinastoe Mountain Bike Trails in County Wicklow last weekend for the second round of the Vitus Gravity Enduro Ireland Series. Given the fairly tale weekend that was the Emerald Enduro, Enduro World Series Round 2 the previous months, it's no great surprise that the event filled up months in advance. The lucky 400 riders were treated to dry, dusty trails all weekend long with only the odd passing shower to keep the dust down. The total route distance was 28km with 1000 meters of climbing and 5 timed downhill stages, giving a racing time of 20 minutes for the fastest riders, more like 25 for mere mortals!

Of course the beauty of Enduro is in the format, easy on the way up and fast on the way down. Riders are not timed on the uphill liaison sections between the stages, giving time to catch up with friends and relive their last run! Once riders reach the top and catch their breath it's down to the business end of the racing. The timed stages can be anything between 2 to 10 minutes of all out speed, power and amazing technical control on the steepest and most challenging terrain available. Enduro really is the perfect balance between a social mountain bike ride and a serious competition.

Riders are divided into categories based on their ages, with a separate category for women. There's also the Pro Men category which isn't limited by age but rather ability. It's often said that a podium position at an Irish Gravity Enduro event is a really high achievement, especially given the recent dominance of the Irish riders on the International scene. Greg Callaghan is currently lying second overall in the World Series after a win at Round 2 and a third place finish in Round 3. In fact last weekends Gravity Enduro Ireland event clashed with the UEC European Enduro Championships, where Team Biking.ie rider Killian Callaghan finished in second place in the Junior category, an incredible achievement given his recent switch to the discipline.

This weekend we saw the return to racing of Dan Wolfe following a nasty elbow injury just before the Emerald Enduro earlier in May. True to his reputation, Dan posted the fastest time of the day ahead of fellow Vitus Team rider Colin Ross. Third place went to another Vitus rider, Team Biking.ie's Piaras Griffin.

A clean sweep for series sponsors Vitus Bikes, Brand Manager Simon Cordner said, "This is a massive day for everyone on the Vitus team and we're delighted for all our riders and the crew behind this. Race results don't lie and we are very proud to have the fastest bike on the weekend".

Leah Maunsell did just about enough to win the womens category despite a disastrous stage 4. Second place went to Orla Mc Clean followed closely by Shona D'Arcy one minute back.

The 14 to 18 class was won convincingly by David Conroy, who's time would place him 9th overall on the day. Rory O'Kelly and Peter Davison finished second and third respectively. The 19 to 29 class was a much closer battle with Biking.ie's own Garreth Davis pipping Scott Wallace to first place by just over one second. Stephen McCormack rounded out the podium in third place. Local man Howie Miller posted the fastest time in the 30 to 34 class and 8th overall on the day. Surely a statement that he is looking to make the move to Pro Men next season. Some 26 seconds a drift was Colm Bradley followed by Damien Daly.

Jamie Whelan made it two wins from two races in the 35 to 39 class with a 10 second gap back to Sean Herlihy and Andy Yoong. Hugh Arthur took the win in the 40 to 49 class and like Whelan is unbeaten so far this season. Second place was taken by mister consistent Joules Dormer and third went to Ken Somerville. The 50 plus class was a clear cut affair with Gary Ennis some 30 seconds ahead of Richie Byrne and Aidan Barry.

The next round of the series heads to the mountain biking mecca that is Djouce Woods on the 25th and 26th of July. For more information in the series visit www.gravityenduro.ie.

Race Results http://www.sportident.co.uk/results/2015/GravityEnduro.ie-R2-Ballinasto/