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Pinkbike Primer: Whistler is Back for the Fourth Round of the 2022 EWS

Aug 3, 2022
by Ed Spratt  
Remi Gauvin embraced the pain of a 20 minute run to come 8th

Before racing kicks off this week at the first of three North American stops, here is everything you need to know.


The Venue



Whistler is undoubtedly one of the toughest races for the EWS with a huge course for the riders to take on. It's been quite a few years since the last race here so it will be interesting to see how the riders fare.

ALN was within 2 seconds of Isabeau after Stage 3 but she would eventually fade back at the end of the day and was overtaken by Nog Korem
Theo Gally looking strong in stage 3

Rae Morrison navigating the dusty rocks high on Whistler Peak
The last bit of tech is some of the most daunting on the course with wheel swallowing holes and a steep grade. Zakarias Blom Johansen makes light work of it though


The Schedule


Round four of the 2022 EWS race sees the season continue with riders facing the Pro Stage on Saturday before a full-on day of stages on Sunday.

Thursday, August 4

10:00-12:00 // Shakedown

Friday, August 5

09:30-16:00 // EWS Training

Saturday, August 6

09:00-11:00 // EWS Pro Stage Training
11:30-14:00 // EWS Pro Stage

Sunday, August 7

08:30-16:30 // EWS Race


The Stages


photo

Total: 39.4 km / 2,813m Descent

Microclimate: 2.1km / 414m descent - Stage 1

Golden Boner>Roam in the Loam>Rabbit Tracks: 2.2km / 280m descent - Stage 2

No Joke>Miss Fire>Delayed Fuse>South Park: 3.5km / 623m descent - Stage 3

Ride Don't Slide>Cirque Du Soil>Ride Don't Slide: 2.1km / 450m descent - Stage 4

1199>Duffman>World Cup Single Track>Ho Chi Min>Longhorn>Monkey Hands: 4.7km / 597m descent - Stage 5


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The Weather


The riders approaching the top of the highest peak at Whistler resort. Slight thunderstorms delayed the lift for about 20 minutes however.

While the racing may not be boring, the weather certainly will be, with the forecast calling for plenty of sunshine and good temperatures.

Friday, August 5

Pleasant and warmer with a full day of sunshine // 24°C // 1% probability of precipitation // wind 6km/h

Saturday, August 6

Warmer; sun and areas of high clouds in the morning followed by considerable cloudiness in the afternoon // 28°C // 1% probability of precipitation // wind 4km/h

Sunday, August 7

Very warm with low clouds breaking for some sun // 29°C // 3% probability of precipitation // wind 7km/h

Weather forecast for Whistler as of Monday, August 1 from Accuweather.


What Happened Last Time We Were Here?




Elite Women
1st. Isabeau Courdurier 1:01:59.71
2nd. Noga Korem 1:02:15.49
3rd. Andreane Lanthier Nadeau 1:02:28.90
4th. Katy Winton 1:03:42.43
5th. Ines Thoma 1:04:08.54


Elite Men
1st. Richie Rude 52:41.29
2nd. Sam Hill 53:36.68
3rd. Edward Masters 54:05.29
4th. Adrien Dailly 54:07.01
5th. Remi Gauvin 54:37.16



What Happened at the Last Round?



Elite Women

1st. Isabeau Courdurier: 39:18.250
2nd. Morgane Charre: 39:50.110
3rd. Harriet Harnden: 39:55.290
4th. Andreane Lanthier Nadeau: 40:16.700
5th. Melanie Pugin: 40:18.970
Elite Men

1st. Richie Rude: 33:59.990
2nd. Jesse Melamed: 34:05.380
3rd. Ed Masters: 34:25.490
4th. Martin Maes: 34:42.200
5th. Slawomir Lukasik: 34:47.030

U21 Women

1st. Emmy Lan: 43:09.660
2nd. Sophie Riva: 43:40.960
3rd. Lily Boucher: 46:46.150
4th. Kalani Muirhead: 47:38.800
U21 Men

1st. Luke Meier-Smith: 35:11.280
2nd. Seth Sherlock: 35:57.970
3rd. Jack Piercy: 36:04.190
4th. Emmett Hancock: 36:07.790
5th. Alexis Icardo: 36:30.750


Who is Leading the Overall Standings?


Elite Men

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Elite Women

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U21 Women

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U21 Men

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Posted In:
Racing and Events Enduro Racing Pinkbike Primer Enduro World Series Ews Whistler 2022


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65 Comments
  • 40 2
 If I'm reading that map correctly, is this EWS at a lift served bike park with only one lift during the day? Excellent. Real enduro.
  • 16 0
 Technically 2x lifts. They are doing S5 twice. As the Pro Stage on Saturday and again as S5 on Sunday. So twice up the lift. The climb up to S4 has a couple soul sucking sections, this was climbed in Crankzilla and caused more than a few of the amateurs to miss their stage start cut off time.
  • 4 0
 @shirk-007: that climb was evil. already had a big pedal under the belt by that time; temps were into the 30's, lots in the direct sun. the liaisons were notoriously short (at least from the perspective of this non-pro; though the next year's event was at a considerably more reasonable pace), so had to put down some watts to make my start. it was an experience, for sure.
  • 9 0
 @shirk-007: those were the glory days!
  • 4 0
 @flipfantasia: BP times. Before progeny.
  • 9 0
 @flipfantasia: they were. Good times.

We follow the EWS online with the kiddos and they see my old EWS race plates stapled up on the garage wall. "How did you get that?" Uh I raced them kiddo, Dad liked to race these before you were born.

The kids are excited to go watch @JesseMelamed crush it on the home course this weekend. We'll be up Sunday chasing the pro's around the mountain.
  • 4 0
 @shirk-007 @flipfantasia pffft, 1300m, c'mon, where's the 1850m and 30+ degree temps. We even had time for a bath in Creekside before Stage 4.

Edit: actually I'm not sure HOW much vert they're climbing this year.
  • 2 0
 @shirk-007: I'm coming up to watch for the first time, do you have any advice on spectating? Best way to get around to the stages or any tricks?
  • 3 0
 if only there was a mountain bike racing discipline for people who wanted to ride lifts up and then go DOWNHILL...
  • 2 0
 @Rooivalk16: This years course is harder to get into for spectating.

S1 and S2 are pretty straightforward to get to.
S3 and S4 you can pedal up Kadenwood then Love Canal and hike into bottom of both stages.
S5 you'll need a bike park pass to get into the park. Walk into the upper part of 1199 or the bottom of 1199 off Freight Train.

I think our plan is watch catch the Pro's in S1 and S2 then go for a ride / swim. Catch the Pro's again as they finish S5 in the village to see who wins.
  • 1 0
 @shirk-007: Bit late, but I wanted to say thanks for your advice. really helped me out.
  • 16 2
 I really love microclimate as a trail. I hope they tape that sucker super tight. I fear for trails after big races. Any cutting that is possible will most certainly happen.
  • 11 0
 I bet there will be tons of spectators for S3 in the creekside zone.... You know, with all that Creekside lift service they have. /S
  • 6 1
 As opposed to the heavily lift serviced Microclimate zone?
  • 3 0
 @paulskibum: At least its accessible via the fire road
  • 1 0
 Someone tell me this: with racers getting access to the Creekside trails does that mean they are technically open to those who dont mind pedalling back to Whistler Village? Or just a case of the rich (racers) getting richer (riding dope trails that the public cant)?!
  • 1 0
 @peterman1234: They also get to be the first to ride 1199. It'll get blown out so bad you won't know what you were missing. Delayed Fuse was in such good shape before the last EWS here :-(
  • 10 0
 Dang no top of the world this year! Is it too snowy at the top still?
  • 5 0
 there was snow at the top as of two weeks ago
  • 1 0
 yeap, there is snow there, here is a trail report from couple weeks ago www.trailforks.com/report/2282498
  • 2 0
 Was just up there yesterday. Still lots of snow unfortunately!
  • 3 0
 I haven't been following EWS much at all lately. Its August and they are only on round 4?? How late/how many rounds does the season go? I thought these guys raced like 10 rounds lol.
  • 6 0
 It's a busy late summer.

8/13 at Burke
8/20 at Sugarloaf
9/17 at Crans-Montana
9/24 at Loudenvielle
10/1 at Finale Trophy of Nations
  • 11 0
 The opening three rounds in Australia/NZ were canceled this year (well August 2021 preemptively) due to Covid lockdowns still being in affect. Nelson and two stops in Tasmania (Derby and Maydena) were cancelled.

Originally they were going to be rescheduled for 2023, but I haven't heard whether they were. I'm hoping so, as I'm oddly obsessed with both places.
  • 2 0
 @MarcusBrody: Derby looks like it has siiiick trails. Occasionally I go back and watch Jesse’s practice vids since it looks so cool. One day I’ll get there.
  • 2 0
 @Jvhowube: 2 East Coast EWSs? Hell yeah
  • 1 0
 @Jvhowube: this is the critical information I was looking for (but too lazy to google)
  • 3 0
 Did they suspend construction of Creekside Gondola and Red Chair for the EWS? Upper No Joke has been closed for weeks which has sucked.....I hope they keep it open after the race.
  • 1 0
 I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard for them to just pause the work in the areas that intersect the trails in use for a few days.
  • 1 0
 I was there last week - its so far from being done i dont think they can stop now.
  • 1 0
 No stopped but stages planned around it
  • 3 1
 EWS is plenty cool! But the media coverage is getting worse and worse. Videos and course previews from EWS needs to be better up front, as well as as better video coverage from the races. But also bike media like Pinkbike should really step up their game again. Where are all the cool tech from the pits and bike checks? Enduro bikes are pretty close to what people actually ride, and the tech news from the enduro races are IMO more interesting and relevant than from other disciplines. So why is the media coverage getting worse and worse?
  • 4 0
 I absolutely love the WC coverage, but I would be so stoked on equally good Enduro coverage. It is a lot tougher to film the tracks for sure, and the spectacle is perhaps less... but I totally agree the tech and bikes are more relatable. I'd love some more in-depth XC coverage as well honestly. Hard to keep asking for more, but I love bikes!
  • 3 0
 In the stage map, what is the meaning of the black graphics/bars with 100 (blue) and 80 (green) in the list of stages?
  • 6 0
 its is representing the stages that the EWS 100 and EWS 80 will be racing
  • 1 0
 @ChodyBonez: Ahh cool. Thanks
  • 4 0
 Wish we could all ride missfire this season
  • 1 0
 this :s
  • 3 0
 No top of the world?? crying emoji
  • 1 0
 I wanted to ride it last weekend and best as I could tell from the trail status web page, it seemed closed. Maybe snow to blame?
  • 1 0
 Alpine up high still lots of snow
  • 1 0
 damn, send some of it to the Alps this winter please...
  • 3 0
 Course preview from 3 years ago? Lame...
  • 6 0
 I agree. The ews has gone backwards in its video production over the last 3 years
  • 1 0
 Does anybody know, if other crossing park trails will be closed during the training on Friday? Like Longhorn to Monkey hands, will this close lower Aline until 4:30?
  • 1 0
 Aline should still be open. Longhorns to monkey hands does not physically cross the main aline route but we shall see how they tape it
  • 2 0
 Sounds like a normal days ride especially once you take out the lift assisted climbing.
  • 1 0
 Surely they aren't climbing the bobsled track at the start of Transition 1.
  • 1 0
 That's pretty cool, looks like they're climbing the bobtrack!
  • 1 0
 They do seem to be - its used each year in a toonie race - so its possible but seems an odd choice - does keep them away from the tourist walks and off the main road (stops duplicating a climb).
  • 1 0
 Do they rope off the liaison stages or can spectators ride along to get to different spots to watch?
  • 1 0
 The Creekside transitions are closed to EWS riders only so no you can't get over there. However plenty of spots on Stage 2 and 5 to spectate within the park
  • 2 0
 Wow no westside oh well won’t get as thrashed i guess
  • 2 3
 it's pretty much all rock.
  • 1 0
 Quite a lot of elevation loss to get to the start of S3.....why not just put the S3 start at the top of the gondola?
  • 2 0
 because then there is no way for the public to ride down from the Roundhouse, also not much point in racing Una Moss it's a pretty featureless blue flow trail.
  • 2 0
 Stop there being a bottle neck of riders waiting at the top of a busy tourist spot?
  • 1 0
 Not using Top of the World - that’s surprising
  • 2 1
 You have to scroll to the bottom to get to the comment box, yet still don't notice the other 5 comments about this? There is still snow at the top.
  • 2 0
 Can't wait for Burke
  • 1 0
 Super curious what courses they are running. Should be a wild ride. I hope it is dry because the upper trails are insane in the wet. Sugarloaf will also be an amazing round! I think they could run one at Bolton one day...
  • 2 2
 Is EWS even cool?
  • 1 1
 Nah I could see the whole thing folding in a few years
  • 1 0
 @mknott9: I hope not! But I do wish there was a better National series in the U.S.

The Eastern States Cup is pretty great, but something with better prize money and more prestige would be neat.
  • 1 1
 @bonkmasterflex: me too but dh at least has a good following and decent coverage for the time being, EWS just doesn’t inspire much excitement. Tracks seem a bit pedestrian and there’s no real stars anymore like dh has







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