Dry, dusty, and very warm conditions greeted the Enduro riders of Polygon Factory racing as they hit the hills around Pietra Ligure for Thursday’s training, and again for Saturday race day. Temperatures hovered around the 30 degrees Celsius mark as Italy enjoyed a holiday weekend, which of course brought the crowds out to line the stages on race day.
The 6 stages on offer meant a very taxing day for all riders. The first 4 stages took close to 5 hours to complete from their roll out, until they could return to the Technical Assistance Zone for some food and fluids, before starting the final two stages. Both Jack and Brady had a great start to the day with Jack 9th and Brady 31st in Stage 1. In Stage 2 Jack finished 15th and Brady improved a spot to 30th. By Stage 5 Jack was still in the mix with a 16th place before the final stage. Finishing outside the Top 20 in Stage 6, Jack still managed an overall result for the team of 14th, a season best and Brady finished a solid 33rd.
“My day was pretty good. I stuck to my plan of making some time up on the first 2 stages as they were the longest. I sucked on Stage 3 as I didn’t push hard enough, and then I blew off the track in Stage 4. I tried to hold it together for the last 2 stages, so I’m happy, it’s a step in the right direction.” – Jack Menzies
“Overall, I had a good day. It was a long hot day on the bike, tracks were pretty blown out, but I still had loads of fun.” – Brady Stone
“Good to be back racing in Europe, but a tough day in Pietra. Struggled to get into the flow with a few mishaps. Enjoyed the last few stages, and now I’m looking forward to Race 4 in Leogang.” – Matt Stuttard
“I felt like I was getting stronger as the day went on. One of the hardest EDR races I’ve ridden in the last few years. Massive loop combined with high temperatures.” – Dan Wolfe
All team members now head to Austria for a training camp and then off to Race 4 in Leogang, a new venue for the Enduro World Cup, and the first time that Enduro, Cross Country and Downhill will all be held at the same venue.
Let's give a shout out to Jack Menzies, who secured 9th place in Stage 1, and kudos to the team for their current ranking of 15th!
Overall Placings – Elite Men
- 14. Jack Menzies – Polygon Factory Racing – @47.73secs
- 33. Brady Stone – Polygon Factory Racing – @1min 24.96secs
- 55. Matt Stuttard – Polygon Factory Racing – @2mins 00.29secs
- 79. Dan Wolfe – Polygon Factory Racing – @2mins 31.32secs
