All general COVID19 procedures below are designed to work in tandem with the detailed local COVID19 procedures provided by each Event Organiser and the local and national rules and laws at the host venue These guidelines are subject to change with the evolving situation. Everyone has a critical role and a shared responsibility for creating a healthy environment and a safe event. We are relying on all racers, staff, volunteers, and members of the host community to consistently and properly follow personal protective practices.

Course and Race Protocols
● Riders must be queued at 2 meter gaps in all stage start queues
● Riders must report to Race Start 5 minutes earlier than normal in order to collect their timing chips
● Face masks must be worn on all transport (Gondolas,trains,shuttle buses)
● Hand sanitizing stations must be available throughout the event and race area
● Face masks must be worn by all staff to follow local face mask policy
● There will be no in person Rider Briefings held at any event. All riders must refer the Official Event Facebook page and the documents hosted on each event’s webpage on www.enduroworldseries.com for event updates
● Official Team Manager’s Briefings will be held over video conference call. Each manager will be sent a link to attend. No in-person meetings will be hosted at any event.
● To discourage public attendance trackside, racers will be sent a password to view the detailed race course map at the time scheduled for Course Map Release.

Timing
● All timing chips will be assembled (chip and band) 24 hours before the event and disinfected prior to race start
● Chips will not be re-used between the EWS and EWS-E
● Post-race chip readout will be self-service by the rider
● Individual results print outs will handled by a timing staff member wearing gloves and will be placed on a table for collection by the rider at a distance of 2 meters
● Riders must put on their own timing chips – Timing Staff must not put a timing chip on a rider
● Individual Special Stage start time stickers will not be produced. Riders must record their own start times from the digital start lists produced prior to the race start

Feedzones
● There will be no food available at food stations and all riders must provide their own water bottles/bladders for refill themselves at water stations. Shared food areas will not be available Athlete Registration
● Registration hours will be extended to allow for distancing. Riders may be assigned time slots to attend athlete registration in order to keep queuing to a minimum.
● Riders stay 2 meters apart from each other and event staff during athlete registration Awards Ceremony Protocol
● 1,2,3 Podium steps must be placed 2m apart
● Trophies or medals must be placed on a table and riders must collect their own trophies during the award ceremony
● The event announcer must remain 2 meters from all athletes at all times during the Awards Ceremony

Official Teams
● Prior to each event Official Teams must register a list of riders and staff with the EWS that will form their Team bubble
● Team bubbles will be allowed to operate within their own social distancing and internal team covid policies during award ceremonies, official training and other scheduled events
● All local COVID19 regulations as laid out by the local authorities must be followed at all times by all riders and staff, regardless of internal team COVID19 policies
● Only riders and staff listed in a Team bubble will be allowed access to that Team’s pit area. Riders from other Teams must not enter any area designated for another Team bubble
● Each official Team must inform the EWS of their accommodation details at each event
● Daily and including prior to travel, we recommend that teams complete the COVID clinical suspicion questionnaire (below) provide by the UCI. Like any medical questionnaire, it must be interpreted by a doctor, who may not be present on site. Teams are recommended to take adequate measures in case the risk score of a Team member is “strongly suspect” or “moderately suspect” on 2 days out of 5.

Media
● All video/TV interviews carried out by accredited media must take place from a minimum of 2 meters
● No interviews by the event host/MC will be carried out at race start
● No lapel microphones can be used by any media on any athlete or staff member
● A maximum of 20 core media including Official Team and EWS production crew will be provided media accreditation
● A maximum of 10 accredited media will be allowed to enter the media room at any one time
● 2 meters must be given between work stations in the media room
● 2 meters must be given between accredited media filming/photographing the awards ceremony
● Face masks must be worn by all media in the media room and on media shuttles, gondolas, trains
● All accredited media must use hand sanitiser upon entering and departing the media room Public and Fans
● No fan sites will be provided at any point on the race course. Fans are encouraged to follow the race online through the Live Timing and Race Feed. https://www.enduroworldseries.com/live/
● No public maps of the course will be available onsite
● No public will be allowed access to the awards ceremony or race start
● Local restrictions will be in place at each event centre area detailing access to team and tech support areas

The Enduro World Series, alongside Finale Outdoor Region, are excited to unveil the schedule and sponsors for the two Italian rounds taking place later this month.

In a year heavily impacted by Covid-19, the Finale Outdoor Region has stepped forward to offer not one, but two rounds of the Enduro World Series as well as round of EWS-E.

The double weekend will see some of the sport’s biggest names head to the beautiful Italian Riviera for back to back racing in Pietra Ligure on September 19 – 20, followed by another two days of action in Finale Ligure over September 25 – 26.

And supporting their efforts will be two of the sport’s leading brands Vittoria and Bluegrass. Both brands jumped at the chance to welcome international competition back to Italy, with Vittoria taking on the title sponsorship of Pietra Ligure EWS and EWS-E, whilst Bluegrass will headline the Finale EWS and Rider Trophy sponsorship. Stage sponsorship comes in the form of two of Italy’s most recognisable brands; Dainese and Ship to Cycle.

The action kicks off on Friday, September 18th with practice for the Vittoria EWS-E, a pro only e-bike race that made its debut in Switzerland last weekend. Amateur e-bike racing will take place as well thanks to the Vittoria EWS-E100 and EWS-50 events, and their training will also take place on Friday 18th. All three of the Vittoria EWS-E races will then take place on Saturday, September 19th.

The Vittoria EWS will take on a slightly different format, with only pro riders eligible to compete in this one day race. They will also train on Friday, September 18th, but we’ll have to wait until Sunday, September 20th to see them race on Pietra’s expansive trail network.

Racers in both disciplines then get a few days down time to explore Pietra’s beaches and many trails, before shifting their focus to Finale Ligure for the Bluegrass Finalenduro EWS and Rider Trophy. The Bluegrass Finalenduro EWS will take the form of a traditional individual start EWS race, whilst amateurs can compete as individuals or teams of three in the Rider Trophy.

Practice for both races will get underway on Friday, September 25, whilst racing will fire into action on Saturday, September 26.

The schedule reflects the complicated event landscape of hosting events in 2020, but has been devised to ensure the safety of riders, staff and local residents. As such, we ask that no spectators attend any of our races this season and follow the online coverage instead.

More information about Vittoria EWS Pietra Ligure is available here and more details about Vittoria EWS-E Pietra Ligure can be found here.

To discover more about Bluegrass EWS Finale Ligure & the Rider Trophy click here.

The Enduro Sports Organisation (ESO), the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Finale Outdoor Region are pleased to announce that a second Italian race weekend has been added to the 2020 Enduro World Series (EWS) event calendar. Set to take place on a closed course on the expansive trail network surrounding the town of Pietra Ligure, just along the coast from Finale Ligure, home of the iconic Bluegrass EWS Finale Ligure and Rider’s Trophy. The pro-only race in Pietra Ligure will take place on 19-20 September.

In light of the ongoing Covid-19 precautions, safety for both event participants and local communities is of paramount importance. The restrictions on rider and spectator attendance are designed to limit unnecessary travel to the region as much as possible. With that in mind, the races slated to take place in Manizales, Colombia and Farellones, Chile in November have now been rescheduled to open the 2021 season. The rounds in Nelson, New Zealand and Derby, Tasmania which were due to raise the curtain next year have been repositioned as the opening rounds of the 2022 season.

EWS Pietra Ligure (Pro Only), Italy – 20 September 2020

Bluegrass EWS Finale Ligure and Rider’s Trophy, Italy – 26-27 September 2020

EWS Manizales, Colombia – 19-20 March 2021

Montenbaik EWS Farellones, Chile – 27-28 March 2021

Shimano EWS Tasmania, Australia – 2-3 April 2022

Aorere EWS Nelson, New Zealand – 9-10 April 2022

As a result of this restructuring, the 2020 season will now take place solely within Europe, and, although we will miss some of our international racers who would normally take part as well as the crowds, this decision has been taken to ensure on-site safety whilst still providing our fans with as much racing as possible.

The revised schedule also sees the second EWS-E race of the year move to the stunning trail network surrounding Pietra Ligure on 22-23 September to sit between the two Italian EWS events. This move is designed to ensure that maximum social distancing can be observed throughout the individual events. The three Italian events will take place over a ten day period to allow ample time for athletes, local staff and media to move safely around the venues in accordance with local government guidelines.

Finale Outdoor Region has hosted an EWS race every year since the championship began in 2013. Today’s announcement is a further example of their continued support for the athletes and teams of the EWS as we continue to work together to put safety and the sport first.

Ugo Frascherelli, the Mayor of Finale Ligure said: “Finale is honoured to host again, for the 8th year in a row, a round of the Enduro World Series which finds its natural home in our town. It is going to be a different event this year, focused on the sport and the storytelling of a special territory. A region that is ready to welcome outdoor sport lovers again on its trails, climbing routes, sea and its beautiful villages.”

Luigi De Vincenzi, the Mayor of Pietra Ligure echoed those sentiments: “Hosting a round of the Enduro World Series and EWS-E is a great honor, a result that rewards the work done in recent years to make Pietra Ligure a bike destination of international level with a strong appeal. In this difficult moment we have seized an extraordinary opportunity that has been given to us. We are ready to show the world the beauty and uniqueness of our trails. The EWS events represent both a prestigious showcase of the trail network and the chance to launch a positive message for such a strategic segment of tourism.”

Andrea Principato, President of Finale Outdoor Region Sport and Events added his endorsement: “I’m excited to say that in 2020, such a difficult year, we are not just confirming the Finale event, but we are doubling it. A huge effort that shows the love for our region and the commitment of a unique team of whom I am very proud.”

Gianluca Viglizzo, President of Finale Outdoor Region Consortium said: “We cannot wait to host the EWS on our enlarged territory. Finale, is well known as the spiritual home of enduro is uniting with Pietra Ligure, to represent a unique territory, from the mountain to the sea, full of history, natural trails and good food. See you in September!”

The Enduro World Series’ Managing Director, Chris Ball, had this to say: “This year has been incredibly tough for our local communities, venues, athletes and teams. What has been remarkable however is the work and commitment behind-the-scenes from all of our partners, striving towards hosting safe, responsible activity that provides moderated activity in safe outdoor spaces. This collective work has ultimately culminated in being able to turn those challenges into some much needed positives for the incredible communities of Finale and Pietra with whom we have worked with for many years. There is no series championship this year and we’ll no doubt miss some nationalities attending and the spectators being trackside. However, we are looking forward to exploring the news trails around Pietra, supporting our local partners in Finale and bringing some safe pro-racing to our fans online and around the world from some brand-new stages”.

For more information about entries for any of the events mentioned above please visit www.enduroworldseries.com. If you already have an entry for an affected event, you will be receiving a personal email with additional details. To view the full 2020 EWS calendar please click here.