Richie Rude and Harriet Harnden Win Finale Ligure EDR World Cup

The opening round of the UCI Enduro World Cup in Finale Outdoor Region, north-west Italy, saw Britain’s Harriet Harnden (Trek Factory Racing Gravity) take the lead in the women’s competition thanks to a supreme stage three race on ‘Supergroppo’.

The men’s competition was dominated by reigning champion Richie Rude (Yeti / Fox Factory Race Team) who won three stages out of the four, including a near perfect ride on stage five - DH Men.

In the women’s field, 2023 overall winner, Isabeau Courdurier (Lapierre Zipp Collective) took second place, after an early lead on stage one, before falling back in the pack after a gruelling stage three. Cannondale’s Ella Conolly, who experienced a turbulent 2023, kept a steady pace throughout the race to earn the third spot on the podium.

In the men’s, Charlie Murray (Specialised Enduro Team) put in solid times across the stages to place second on the day, whilst Belgian Martin Maes (Orbea Fox Enduro Team) returned to the podium, taking the final spot in third.

For Richie Rude, “getting that first stage win really put that confidence in me to know I could do well on these tracks.” With temperatures into the high twenties, it was, he added, “really hard out there”. A buoyant Harriet Harnden admitted afterwards to harbouring pre-race doubts about how well she would ride. To take the win, she said, “feels amazing. I didn’t think this was going to happen.”

Note: Stage 4 was cancelled following a crash and subsequent medical evacuation, the results accounted for actual stages 1-3 and 5.

2024 Finale Ligure EDR World Cup Results - Elite Men (full results)