Hattie Harden and Richie Rude win the overall classification of the Enduro World Cup

Harden and Rude took the overall title in difficult conditions at the final round of the UCI Enduro World Cup in Loudenvielle-Peyraguides.

Press release ©️WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series:

The UCI Enduro World Cup Final was billed as a battle royale, with the men’s and women’s titles still to be decided. But no one was prepared for what happened on the first day of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Loudenvielle–Peyragudes, presented by Facom.

The Louron Bike Park trails are considered the jewel of the French Pyrenees, but the challenging conditions and constantly changing terrain made this one of the most difficult enduro races in memory.

Before the racing even got underway, the weather was so bad that strong winds in the mountains led to Stage 3 being cancelled. And as the first riders started to arrive, it became clear that the results were going to be even harder to predict.

STEP 1: CHICKEN

The overall women’s series was well balanced entering the final round of the 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series UCI Enduro World Cup, with just 63 points separating Isabeau Courdurier (Lapierre Zipp Collective) and Harriet Harnden (Trek Factory Racing Gravity), while Ella Conolly and Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing) could still mathematically take the title.

It was Harnden who gained the upper hand by winning the wet and muddy 2.715km opening stage, but Courdurier wasn’t far behind the Briton – finishing third behind Ella Conolly, a 17-second advantage that was well within reach in such difficult conditions.

In the men’s race, only Sławomir Łukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) and Charles Murray (Specialized Enduro Team) could realistically stop Richie Rude (Yeti/Factory Race Team) from winning two more UCI Enduro World Cup titles and a fourth in his illustrious career. However, the American seemed to be giving it his all in the French Pyrenees, showing the consistency he has shown all season, finishing the first stage in a time of 7:01.468 – a time bettered only by Greg Callaghan and Alex Rudeau (Commencal Enduro Project).

STEP 2: DAIRY

Although the weather improved briefly along the route, the mud on the course turned to peanut butter as the riders set off on the longest stage of the day.

It would have caused absolute havoc in the women’s field – Mélanie Pugin was the only rider to finish in under 10 minutes. But it could also prove decisive in the fight for the overall title. Harnden crossed the line more than 56 seconds behind new race leader Pugin, but it was Courdurier who suffered the most. The three-time series overall winner suffered a series of mechanical failures and crashes, including a broken front fender, and finished the stage almost two-and-a-half minutes behind, dropping her to 11th overall. The Frenchwoman had to climb a mountain to make up some time on her nearest rival and was visibly nervous as she began the link-up to stage four.

Nabias had a similar effect on the men’s field, with riders trying to stay on two wheels as they slid and slid down the mountain. But Rude looked in command, keeping everything upright to finish second, 10 seconds behind winner Martin Maes – a Belgian who was clearly at home in the muddy conditions. Lukasik and Murray, who were sixth overall with exactly the same time, would now need to DNF Rude to take the title.

STEP 4: ZEBRA

A mechanical lift and a smooth descent brought the participants to the start of the shortest stage of the day and the penultimate stage of the 2024 UCI Enduro World Cup season.

For Courdurier, it was simple. To have any chance of defending her title, she had to score as many points as possible on the remaining two stages and hope Harnden made a mistake. The 30-year-old seemed to put the disappointment of the second stage behind her, confidently winning the stage in 3:09.044. While Harnden couldn’t match her pace, the British rider was able to play it safe, and her seven-second deficit still gave her an advantage of over a minute and a half going into the final stage. Pugin, meanwhile, remained in the lead on the day, with compatriot Charre eight seconds behind in second.

In the men’s race, Maes built an unassailable lead to win the second stage of the day and edge Greg Callaghan in the overall classification by nine seconds, but Rude showed why he has been at the top of the sport for almost a decade by finishing the stage in third place to remain third overall, while Murray and Lukasik struggled.

STEP 5: TOURTERES

After a long, uphill stretch, the heavens opened just as the competitors began their attack on the final stage of the day.

It would appear to be the longest 2.35km of Harnden’s life, as she led the series by 14 points going into the stage. With the time advantage, she would simply need to finish within a minute and a half of Courdurier to have the best chance of winning her first overall series title.

Courdurier passed the Briton to lead the stage at the bottom, with Harden still well on his way. But as soon as the Trek Factory Racing rider crossed the finish line.

Almost 20 seconds ahead of Courdurier, the fate of the general series was decided – in the end, the pair were separated by just 21 points. That day, Charre won for the second time in the UCI Enduro World Cup season, and the Frenchwoman overtook Ella Conolly and took third place in the general classification.

Speaking after the race, Morgane Charre said: “I really like these conditions – it’s really great fun. I’ve been getting better with the rain – I’m so excited to win. I was eight seconds behind Melanie (Pugin) before the last (stage) but I love this stage and I usually do quite well.”

Harriet Harnden, overall winner of the 2024 UCI Enduro World Cup, said: “I feel like I’ve finally figured it out. Beating Isabeau (Courdurier) is amazing. She’s unstoppable, so it’s really special. I just wanted to ride like myself, just be myself – if it was meant to be, it was meant to be. It worked out pretty well. I still can’t believe it. It’s super special. I don’t know what 2025 brings yet, but I hope it’s something close to that. It doesn’t happen often and I’m just going to enjoy it.”

While the women’s overall standings would go down to the final stage, the men’s overall standings were already decided. Rudeau would win the stage, while Maes’ second place was enough to cement his lead on the day – the Belgian’s first win since 2021. However, Mr Consistency himself, Richie Rude, finished third on the stage and second overall, claiming his fourth overall title in the series.

Martin Maes said after the race: “I had a strange feeling when I woke up this morning that I could do it. It’s the end of an era for Orbea and me. Today went perfectly – I didn’t feel the ground at all and I just rode as best I could. I think the conditions were incredibly difficult – some very deep ruts and very wet ground. It was a tough race but I think the flat pedals helped me today.”

Richie Rude (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) said: “Sławomir (Łukasik) and Charlie (Murray) were there the whole season. It was a good fight. It’s an amazing feeling. I had a really good season this year – it was one of my best so far. I didn’t drop off the podium all year, which is pretty crazy. I’m so excited and it’s great to go back to last year and go the whole season. A strong start to the season makes sure that everything you’ve done in the off-season pays off. Winning the Final, being strong in Poland and doing well in Leogang, keeping that momentum going. There were days when I didn’t feel as strong but I kept fighting for it. I think it was those moments that made me sure I was still on the right pace. The race in Switzerland, I put a lot of pressure on myself and I wanted to do well there and have a bit of a break here. It was a tough course – so many rocks, so many things that could have gone wrong. “I kept consistent and didn’t have any problems.”

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