[Video] EWS La Thuile: Wildhaber and Chausson leading after day 1

Renè Wildhaber is leading the Enduro World Series La Thuile after day 1, followed by Damien Oton and Francois Bailly-Maitre. Women: Anne-Caro Chausson first ahead of Ravanel and Moseley.

[Press release] Throughout the first Special Stage, the riders faced the longest and the most challenging of the courses, Superkappa, almost 10 kilometres long and with a descent of about 1000 m. The PS “Piloni alto” closed the day, with the Swiss René Wildhaber (Trek Factory Racing) leading the first-day ranking with only one and a half second advantage on Damien Oton (Devinci Alltricks.com), who crashed in the last corner. The provisional third place goes to another rider from France, Francois Bailly-Maitre (BMC Enduro Racing), while among the women the French Anne Caroline Chausson (Ibis) is leader in front of her compatriot Cecile Ravanel (GT Pulse) and of Tracy Moseley (Trek Facroty Racing) from Great Britain. Denny Lupato (Lapierre – FRM Factory Racing) got the first place among the Italian riders, with his forty-fourth position in the general ranking, while Laura Rossin (Devinci – Dream Team), reached the twentieth spot.

Both the male and the female races have been fought down to the wire and, with three Special Stages still to go, every prediction about the tomorrow final winners is almost impossible. The level of the riders is so high that we can only anticipate an exhilarating final and a Round that will be closed not earlier than the last PS.

The schedule for tomorrow sets the start at 8.45 and includes the PS “Superkappa”, “Piloni Basso” and “Mulino”, with a time check planned after the first two PS. The day should be slightly less demanding for the riders, as 80% of the climbs will be done using the uplifts of the Funivie Piccolo San Bernardo.