Harnden and Melamed win at EWS Whistler 2022

It was EWS win number three in Whistler, Canada at round four of the 2022 series for Harriet Harnden (Trek Factory Racing).

The Brit rider bookended the six-stage women’s race with emphatic wins on Saturday’s Pro Stage and then took Sunday’s final stage to finish the race just 4.44s ahead of Pivot Factory Racing’s Morgane Charre. Chilean Florencia Espineira Herreros (Orbea Fox Enduro Team) took third place.

There was heartbreak for Canada’s Andreane Lanthier Nadeau (Rocky Mountain Race Face) when a puncture on the penultimate stage left her with a leaking tyre that burped on the final stage demoting her from race leader to fifth place.

Series leader France’s Isabeau Courdurier (Lapierre Zipp Collective) shrugged off what was a horrendous foot injury at EWS-E Valberg in July to take fourth place in the race.

In the men’s race it was a glorious home win for Jesse Melamed of the Rocky Mountain Race Face Enduro Team. The homegrown hero stormed to victory in front of his family and friends who helped fuel a hugely vocal local crowd. Melamed won four of the six stages and by significant margins. He was pushed hard right up until the final stage by the man who started the race as series leader, Yeti/Fox Factory Team’s Richie Rude.

The American came second on all four stages that Jesse won and took the win on the Queen stage where Melamed came ninth. He trailed by just 10.13 seconds going into the final stage but ended the day 44th after haemorrhaging time with a blowout. Reigning Champion, Australian Jack Moir (Canyon Collective), enjoyed a return to form to take second place 16.03 seconds behind the Canadian after more than 41 minutes against the clock. Melamed’s Rocky Mountain Race Face teammate and countryman Remi Gauvin took third.

The U21 women’s race was won by Chilean Paz Gallo Fuentes, with American Ainsley Haggart in second and her compatriot Lauren Bingham third. The U21 men’s race was a Canadian 123 with Seth Sherlock holding off Emmett Hancock. Lief Rodgers was third.

Master Women 35+ was won convincingly by Czech rider Fejola Stepanka Nestlerova ahead of Canada’s Ingrid Larouche and New Zealand’s Melissa ‘Mops’ Newell. Master Men 35+ saw a win for Shane Gayton who was pushed hard by Canadian Ted Morton with the USA’s Aaron Bradford in third.

Full EWS Whistler results here

Melamed will don the yellow plate of series leader with 2080 points going into the fifth round of the EWS next weekend at Burke in Vermont, USA. Rude drops into second spot 295 points behind. Isabeau Courdurier holds the lead in the series with 2000 points ahead of Morgane Charre and Harriet Harnden.
Full series rankings here

Pivot Factory Racing go into round five as series team leaders with 4505 points just 25 ahead of Rocky Mountain Race Face Enduro Team.
Full team rankings here