The Verbier Enduro2 (July 5-7) has just concluded in the iconic Swiss mountain town. With 11.000 meters of elevation gain over three days, 3 carefully selected timed stages, and a deliberately hilly route, it offered an uncompromising mountain biking experience, focused as much on the journey, the good times, and team spirit as the race itself.
Source: press release
Unlike traditional enduro events where it's every rider for themselves, Enduro2 is all about the pair: you and your ride partner, racing together, side by side, wheel to wheel, from start to finish.
end.
No ego. No pressure to reach the podium. Just flat-out pedaling, well-groomed trails, and the kind of shared excitement that only comes from tearing up alpine singletrack… with your teammate screaming while they're glued to your back wheel.
Every descent, every hairpin bend, every uncertain rock garden is tackled in tandem and completely blind.
Yes, it's competitive, but it's also a three-day rollercoaster of laughter and mutual support, sharing all the ups and inevitable downs. The race rewards not only pure speed, but also chemistry, teamwork, and consistency, and celebrates the moments in between: shared mechanical problems, hangovers, friendly banter, the high fives at the end of each stage.
The Trails: A Carefully Chosen Paradise
From the flowing, needle-like clay terrain of Bruson to the lightning-fast ridges and challenging rocky descents of Verbier, this year’s course was simply sublime.
The organizers have designed a route that is meticulously crafted, not improvised: the local knowledge gained over two years of collaboration with MTBVerbier's local guides has been combined with world-class race course design.
The 17 special stages ranged from 12 minutes of brutal forearm-burning to 5 minutes of pure flow. But there was one constant: big smiles, breathtaking views, and special stages you'd definitely want to do again, even if it was just for fun.
The journeys were designed to be scenic, social and achievable, leaving enough fuel in the tank to go full throttle where needed.
Want to spend hours toiling on fire roads? Do it at home, at your own pace.
Our goal? To maximize time spent on the good stuff: there are no “fillers” at Enduro2. Many riders commented that the connecting routes on day two were actually some of the best they'd ever ridden, let alone raced!
The atmosphere: Alpine camaraderie at its finest
With teams from sixteen countries showing up in Verbier, this year's race was as much about the people as it was the trails.
Local support teams, a welcoming headquarters in the city center, and the unmistakable "we're all in this together" vibe created an atmosphere halfway between a race and a festival. Countless friendships were forged among the bike racks, in the lift lines, at the starting gates, and over a free beer every evening—included in the race registration—at Verbier's renowned Mont Fort Pub.
RESULTS
The fastest overall this weekend was a triumph of British teams, with just a minute difference between them over the three days: Sam ROBSON and Ieuan WILLIAMS (76:34) in a close battle with Leigh JONES and Charles JOHNSON (77:02), top ten EDR, narrowly ahead of Scott EDGWORTH and Ian AUSTERMUHLE (77:42). An honourable mention goes to Rowan SORREL and Leon ROSSER (77:59) in 4th place, who were in contention for the podium, before suffering a puncture on the penultimate stage of the weekend.
In the Mixed Couples category, the winner of Trans-Madeira Becci SKELTON and her partner Jamie HAYNES (GB) took first place with a total time of 88:04, narrowly edging out WATTS & PERRY (GB) (90:07) and MEYRAT & OPPLIGER (CH) (93:57).
Other category winners included BINER & BARBEZAT (CH) (93:17) – Women’s Pair | MICHIELS &DE FROIDMONT (BE) (86:49) – E-Bike | LUSMORE & GANAL (GB) (83:37) – Combined Age 77+ | SAVICKIS & BISHOP (GB) (84:56) – Combined Age 100+.
