Perfect weather greeted the riders for the fifth round of the Enduro World Cup in the beautiful Val di Fassa in Italy. Following the great results from the previous weekend, the Polygon Factory riders were keen to get on track for the 5-stage race.
As the day wore on, the heat and altitude started to take its toll with the riders making a few mistakes including a frustrating crash from Brady Stone within sight of the finish, costing him a top 10 overall. “I kept it steady for the first 3 stages and gave it my all on Stage 4. It was a tough physical day out, but I was really happy to build on last week’s race and it felt like I was attacking a lot more, which is something I’ve struggled with in the past. So frustrating to crash on the second last corner,” Brady expressed.
Despite this Jack and Brady both finished in the top 15, with Jack in 12th, scoring a 5th on stage 2, and Brady in 14th, scoring a 4th on Stage 4 and an 8th on Stage 1. “I’m happy with my first couple of stages today and stoked to test my fitness on the long Stage 2 and end up 5th. This was a positive note for me, that I held onto during Stage 3 but then a crash on Stage 4 put me back. Lots to take away from and improve upon with these recent races, as we head into the final two races later this year. Huge thanks to the team for their work these past weeks!” Jack said.
“I was really looking for to racing again here in Val Di Fassa, but then I had a huge crash in Stage 1, and that put me behind. I really enjoyed the next few stages to move back into the top 30. Looking forward to going back home and resetting for the last 2 races of the year.” – Matt Stuttard
“I’m honestly delighted I finished the day after being sick all week. Really struggled with the lack of energy and it became very apparent on Stage 1 that I was in for a very long day. But after digging deep I rode well as the day went on. Delighted to wrap this block up and go back home and recover.” – Dan Wolfe
So proud of the team's progress, the boys achieved an impressive 12th place in Val Di Fassa and secured the 14th spot in the Overall races. With these accomplishments, all team members will now take a well-deserved nine-week break from World Cup racing. Looking ahead and mark your calendars, because Jack is gearing up for the National Enduro Championships at the end of next month!
Overall Placings – Elite Men
- 12. Jack Menzies – Polygon Factory Racing – 36 min 23.81secs
- 14. Brady Stone – Polygon Factory Racing – 36 min 23.97secs
- 30. Matt Stuttard – Polygon Factory Racing – 37 min 26.74secs
- 78. Dan Wolfe – Polygon Factory Racing – 39 min 28.13secs
Best Stage Performance: Brady Stone secured 4th Place – Stage 4
