They call it the off season, but it's anything but "off." In Episode 1 we take a look at the preparation that goes into training for the Enduro World Series. Can Curtis Improve on his 12th Overall in 2013? Will Jerome Clementz be able to defend his title?
Curtis heads to the Montenbaik Enduro, set in rugged and unforgiving mountains of Nevados De Chillan, Chile. The first three stages of the Enduro World Series have been nothing but brutal to his body and pride, bringing him down to 49th place overall on the EWS. As illness and injury begin to plague fellow racers, Curtis focuses on getting healthy, keeping pace and riding fast, the only true formula for success.
What separates the best mountain bikers in the world from the rest from us? Is it training? Equipment? Or something else entirely? Can the training and dedication needed to compete with the best mountain bikers in the world actually be fun? On Track with Curtis Keene explores these questions along with the strategy and preparation behind the racing on the Enduro World Series.
Mental and physical preparations are important; but in the end, time is all that matters. After a very disappointing race is Chile, Curtis is looking to beat the clock and make it up for things in Scotland. On Track with Curtis Keene follows the racers through the second race of the series -- as the Enduro World Series visits the Tweedlove Festival.
We're back in beautiful Scotland at the Tweedlove Festival where hometown hero Joe Barnes shows everyone how to properly ride Scottish terrain. Meanwhile, 2014 champ Jerome Clementz watches his chance at a second title go away while Curtis hopes to finish in the top 10 with the help of his new Black Box Project.
Every racer has their own goals -- and Curtis's are high. But after illness in Chile, adapting to rugged trails in Scotland, and an early season full of unrealized potential, Curtis heads to France with high hopes and the desire to go fast...really fast. The 3rd stop of the Enduro World Series in Valloire is just the place for that.
Cold. Wet. Windy. Long. Steep. Hard. All words that could lead to something negative. Nope, this is what Mountain Biking is all about: different types of terrain, different conditions and the best athletes in the world. That’s the recipe for proper Mountain Biking within the Enduro World Series. Follow Curtis in the 7th Episode of On Track as he attacks the trails of La Thuile, Italy. A very unique and breathtaking place where the competition level keeps getting higher and higher.
Colorado single track is rocky, dusty and rather unforgiving, but the real punisher is the high elevation at the 5th stop of the Enduro World Series. Winter Park would host breakthrough performances and big-time crashes leaving riders with their head in hands, wondering, "What if?" While series Leader Jared Graves once again exerts his dominance, Curtis continues to search for the right combination of the right preparation, plus the right equipment, on the right day.
They called it “Crankzilla”: the longest, toughest, hottest and some would say most technically demanding race of the Enduro World Series this season. 60 KM of riding, 2500 Meters of elevation gain and more than 7 hours of riding through five stages that would test amateurs and Pros both physically and technically. After a sea on of close calls and almosts, Curtis is finally able to put it all together and have the right race on the right day Watch Curtis as he take one step further his overall season goal of making the top 10 during this 6th stop of the Enduro World Series.
Last season, Curtis finished 12th overall in the series and his goal this year was to improve on that ranking. But a stacked racing field and a worldwide schedule has taken its toll, not only on Curtis but on all the racers in the series. The entire season will come down to what the racers do here. 365 Days of hard work that will either pay off in the final 6 stages of racing or leave racers wondering what could have been.
The start of the Enduro World Series: 6 Months, 8 Races, 3 Continents. Curtis and Team are in the Southern Hemisphere competing in the first stop in Rotorua, New Zealand. It’s time for the Team to put all the training and planning to the test. But what do you do if it doesn’t go according to plan? How do you turn it around? For Curtis this means going back to where his Enduro Racing career began: Prescott Arizona.
Currently riding in Prescott Arizona, Curtis takes us back to stop #2 of the Enduro World Series in Ireland. When results are not as expected, the people that surround you become even more important. From the Team Mechanic Paddy, to his teammates Mitch and Anneke, Curtis looks to re-find some equilibrium, while a hometown hero takes his first ever EWS win.
Wild weather, slippery courses and the continued search for speed and fitness are all on the menu as Curtis and the rest of the athletes of the Enduro World Series travel to Scotland. Riding a bike in difficult conditions like these is one thing, but racing a bike in the mud and the cold is something else completely different. As Curtis continues to search for the pieces of the puzzle he’ll need to get back into the Top 15, one of the EWS’s main contenders sees his season crushed due to injury. Aggressive racing, harsh Weather and a new Series leader will all emerge from the woods of Peebles.
Curtis enters the 2016 Enduro World Series with high spirits and a new high-profile teammate in his camp — Jared Graves. After a lackluster 2015 season, will Curtis finally break out of his rut and piece together a performance he can be proud of?
It’s not a question of “if” but “when.” Defending champ Ritchie Rude tries to avoid the “crash curse,” and he’s got the advantage of two-time World Champion Jared Graves in his corner going into the first two rounds of the season.
An offseason full of rigorous training can't prevent a rash of mechanical failures in Wicklow, Ireland. This doesn’t discourage On Track cameraman Nicolas Guy-Caron, though; he plans to join the enduro race himself for the first time in Italy.
There are few feelings better than riding a mountain bike well on an exciting track like La Thuile, Italy. While the goal is always to get from point A to point B the fastest, each rider has his or her own style when it comes to tackling the route.
Curtis Keene and Jared Graves battle Colorado’s high altitudes in round five of the Enduro World Series. Jared’s confidence is running low after a season so far full of adversity, but he fights on in hopes of turning things around in Aspen.