Dolcenduro – Jesse Melamed and Morgane Charre win

Four years after the last edition, an experimental "mass-start" version created in 2018, the Dolcenduro returns to the medieval village of Dolceacqua, organized by Supernatual, the group that deals with guided tours and freeride shuttles on the trails throughout the year between Italy and France.

Tommaso Francardo is 3rd overall at the Dolcenduro, the first real Enduro event in Italy that has brought together many prestigious riders. The winner was Jesse Melamed, world number 1 last year in the Enduro World Series. 2nd place for Giant Factory athlete Youn Deniaud, another name often in the top10 worldwide.

The other Italians also did well with Simone Pelissero 11th, Loris Revelli 12th and Nicola Grotti 13th. Among the women, an excellent race for Nadine Ellecosta who finished in 4th place behind the expert Morgan Charre, second at the EWS in 2022, Melanie Pugin and Barbora Prudkova.

Compared to the first editions, the spirit of the event has remained unchanged: a mix of "local" competition and mini EWS. The period chosen by the organizers is in fact strategic for many teams and professional athletes, who find here the ideal conditions to test their training status and the setting of the bicycles.

In 2017 the ChainReaction Nukeproof team, to which the organizers have been linked for some time, chose the Dolcenduro in view of the international appointments.

The very demanding, steep and full of pitfalls are in fact an effective and direct test bench for evaluating how to face the season. The Dolcenduro is now known among bikers as the "Season Kick-Start".

Fewer foreign athletes showed up at the starting gate this year, due to the fact that the race, being registered by the organizers as a regional FCI, had limitations as prescribed by the regulation. However, the show was not missed thanks to the presence of the Devinci team with Greg Calaghan and Evan Nell and the Canyon Collective led by Jesse Melamed. Among them the tricolor of Tommy Francardo, a rider for whom Dolceacqua represents a second home having taken his first steps in international enduro with the Supernatural/Nukeproof team. Fewer French than expected, a sign that even in the nearby Cote D'Azur enduro is suffering a little from the natural generational turnover. The presence of Kevin Miquel, Alexis Icardo, Youn Deniaud and Nathan Secondi has in any case warmed up the atmosphere to the right point. The notable presence of young Italian athletes should be noted, above all in the Students category and a large group of women.

Jesse Melamed won the men's overall, dominating throughout the race and with only a handful of tests on Saturday to his credit. Following him Youn Deniaud, the fierce French driver who proved to be very competitive on the toughest special stages. The trio is completed by the Italian champion Tommaso Francardo, in great shape and at ease on the new Ancillotti machine.

Among women, Morgane Charre prevails over Melanie Pugin and Borbora Prudkowa.

The race was also open to E-Bikes, where Florian Nicolai of the We Ride Fulgur team clearly prevailed over his opponents once again demonstrating his amazing riding technique, refined precisely in this area, which leaves no room for improvisation.

The Dolcenduro was the first round of a series created this year by some local organizers, called UNION TRAILS AREA, an expression of the desire to unite in a single container several operators specialized in MTB tourism, including the professional guides of Supernatural .

The next stage will be in Breil-Sur-Roya (F), with the "Enduro "Du Loup Du Bois Noir" on April 16th.

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