Fabien Barel wins UCI E-Enduro World Cup crown, Florencia Espineira snatches title in nail-biting conclusion

Published 17/09/2023 at 17:20 GMT

The dominant Fabien Barel didn’t let defeat on the final weekend of the UCI E-Enduro World Cup stop him from claiming the overall series title, while Florencia Espineira was victorious by the smallest of margins in the women’s race. Riders batted for a podium spot on the 10-stage course which covered 65km and over 4000 metres of descent in Chatel, France.

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Image credit: Eurosport

A late penalty cost Canyon CLLCTV rider Fabien Barel victory Sunday’s 10-stage race, but it did not stop him from winning the overall World Cup series.

Series leader Barel was issued a 60-second penalty for a missed section of liaison after taking control of the race.

The incident left him in ninth place, as Kevin Marry (Lapierre Zipp Collective) capitalised to take the race win.

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Marry ousted Tiago Ladeira (Miranda Factory Team) by two-tenths of a second with Mick Hannah (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) finishing third.

But it was Barel’s season-long dominance that earned him the overall series win.

Marry took second spot on the podium, while Ladeira settled for third.

In the women’s race, Florencia Espineira of Orbea Fox Enduro Team pipped Tracy Moseley by four-tenths of a second in the race to win the overall title.

In what was some of the most closely fought racing on record, Moseley dominated early on to win the first three stages of Sunday’s 10-stage race before Ines Thoma claimed the fourth as well as the final stage.

Former EWS-E champion Laura Charles (Miranda Factory Team) also took a stage, but it was Chilean Espineira who was strongest to win both the race and the overall title.

Sunday’s nail-biting battle in Chatel, France - which covered 65km in length and over 4000 metres of descent - was decided by under a second which helped Espineira take the overall crown.

Charles finished second to join Espineira on the overall series podium and Germany’s Thoma finished in third place.

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