CUBE ambassadors James Anderson and Rob Williams are heading to Finale Ligure, Italy, to compete at the UCI Mountain Bike Enduro & E-Enduro World Championships. On Saturday 17 October, both riders will line up for the E-EDR race aboard their CUBE Stereo Hybrid ONE77 bikes.
Finale Ligure is known for putting both rider and bike to the test. Rough natural trails, technical climbs, tight corners and demanding power stages all form part of the challenge. James and Rob head to Italy with different preparations, strengths and ambitions, but with the same goal: to make the most of the opportunity to race on the world stage.
For James Anderson, the World Championships come at a particularly special moment. Having recently become a father, he heads into the race with plenty of motivation. "It's hard to put into words honestly. I've recently become a dad and the motivation is so high right now. I'm going to take in every moment and give it my all!"
That motivation has translated into plenty of time on the bike. In preparation for Finale, James has been putting together long rides of just under 60 kilometres, combined with technical climbing to replicate some of the demands he expects to face on race day. Fortunately, his local trails have provided everything he needs. "We have some amazing riding locally, so I've come up with some decent loops to get me in that longer race-day mindset."
A particular focus has been the power stages, where technical climbing adds another dimension to E-Enduro racing. James has been experimenting with the Bosch Flow app during training to fine-tune his setup and find what works best when the terrain points steeply upwards. "I'd say everything needs to be on point, it's a proper test of a bike here."
With the preparation done, James isn't putting pressure on himself to achieve a particular finishing position. Instead, his focus is on riding smart, staying consistent and making the most of an opportunity that does not come around often. "I probably won't get this opportunity again, so I'm giving it my all. If I do all those things, I'll be proud."
While James heads to Finale focused on making the most of a unique opportunity, Rob Williams already knows what awaits on the Italian coast. Having ridden in Finale several times before, he is familiar with both the variety of the terrain and the distinctive character of the area.
"You've got some well-made, bike-park-style stuff, and then some really natural walking trails with some impossibly tight corners. A lot of the trails finish down by the sea, which is really cool." It is a mix that suits Rob well. He describes himself as an all-rounder, equally happy riding cross-country and enduro as he is tackling the technical climbs and e-bike-specific stages that make E-Enduro a discipline of its own.
Finale is, in his experience, particularly well-suited to that style of racing. "It's got some of the best trails in the world and it's really well set up for e-biking. There are some really cool technical uphill sections, the power stages have been really good there in the past, and there are usually some big crowds."
Rob will race a CUBE Stereo Hybrid ONE77, and when it comes to preparing the bike for the demands of Finale, one component gets his attention before anything else: the brakes. "'Without good brakes, I feel pretty rubbish on the bike, so I like to have them feeling as good as possible with fresh pads. For me, that's number one."
His overall ambition is simple: finish the race knowing he has pushed throughout. There is, however, one result he would particularly like to take home from Finale "A top-10 power stage would be ideal. I've had quite a few in the past, so I'd love to get a good one of those. Mainly, I just want to get through the race and feel like I've been pushing."
Different preparations, different strengths and different ambitions will bring James and Rob to the same start line on 16 October. Ahead lies a full day of technical climbing, demanding stages and some of Finale Ligure's most challenging terrain, with both riders relying on their CUBE Stereo Hybrid ONE77 bikes to take them through it.
For James, it is an opportunity to make the most of a special moment in his racing career. For Rob, it is a return to familiar trails with the aim of once again pushing for a strong performance on the power stages.
Follow James, Rob and CUBE Bikes UK on Instagram throughout their time in Finale as they take on one of the biggest races of their season.