Alex Balaud: 30 years of enduro, from pioneer to organiser

A two-speed discipline

His view: at world level, the discipline is struggling. In France, there have never been so many races, with more official teams in the French Cup than in the World Cup. The episode looks at this gap, at what enduro really brings to a region, and at what it would take to give it media coverage.

Thirty years of mountain biking

Alex Balaud retraces his path: his beginnings in 1988, when cross-country and downhill were ridden on the same bike, Team Sunn, the glacier starts of the Mégavalanche. Then the first Tribe 10000 in 2003, and the first Enduro Series circuit, which he won in 2005. Alongside this, twenty years at the Comité Haute-Savoie, between coaching, UCI technical delegation and the French team.

Behind the scenes of an organiser

Fifteen to twenty kilometres of course tape per stage, marking that starts on Monday for a race at the weekend, branches cut and chicanes added to avoid a rescue: Alex Balaud explains how a race is prepared and the place of safety.

E-bikes, the touchy subject

The episode ends on electric-assisted enduro: Power Stages, the UCI’s approval of motors at 750 watts, the power race started by motors peaking at 1,500 watts, and the risk of e-bikes being lumped in with motorbikes, and then trails being closed.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
02:25 How is enduro doing? World level versus national level
07:21 Can enduro gain media coverage and turn professional?
12:07 The early days: mountain biking in ’88, cross-country and downhill
16:28 Team Sunn and the start of his pro career
19:24 Métabief 1993: a puncture 300 m from the line
22:02 Marathon downhill: the Méga and the Mountain of Hell
28:17 2003, the first Tribe 10000: the birth of the Enduro Series
32:21 The original enduro format
33:45 From racer to course designer
36:03 Comité Haute-Savoie, UCI technical delegate, the Les Gets Worlds
39:04 Coaching the French team: video as a weapon
40:47 Taking over the Enduro Series and creating MTB Events
43:05 Moving under the FFC label
44:38 How to keep the spirit of enduro
47:13 Enduro when you’re not a racer
53:11 Organising a race: course tape, a real science
57:24 Safety: fall zones, mattresses, chicanes
1:04:25 E-bikes in enduro: how legitimate?
1:07:46 Power Stages: designing a stage for e-bikes
1:13:44 Fairness: approving motors at 750 watts
1:18:27 Batteries: race strategies
1:22:56 Why the e-enduro World Cup stopped
1:24:17 Creating a European e-bike series
1:28:21 E-bike potential revealed by racing
1:31:05 The power race: the risk of being lumped in with motorbikes
1:38:14 Enduro and e-bikes have a future
1:39:40 Closing words: the magic of cycling

Find out more: Enduro Series — French MTB and e-MTB Cup.

Thanks to Alex for his time and his frankness, especially on e-bikes. To make sure you don’t miss an episode, subscribe to the En Roue Libre newsletter (in French).