PEUGEOT CYCLES racing Team in the race after the 2nd round of the World E-bike Series

Review of the second round in Ascona-Locarno (Switzerland)

Close to the top ten leaders, Nicolas Lau finished 13th in 5 specials in the Enduro competition. Jean-Roch Vecten, Elite rider and Vincent Ancelin, Team manager also engaged in the competition, supporting their leader during the specials, without possible return to the paddock. They finished 23rd and 24th respectively among 30 pilots. With the result, the PEUGEOT Cycles Team remains neck and neck with its rivals in the WES championship. As in Monaco, the race featured a high-quality field, including Nicolas Vouilloz, nine-time downhill racing world champion, and other national and international champions.

“The race was very fast but we can really do better. I punctured a tyre during the 2nd special and I lost about 30 or 35 seconds.”
Comment by Nicolas Lau, PEUGEOT Elite Cyclist

Overall standings of the 2nd round of the WES
1. Gustav Wildhaber (Suisse) / Cube Action Team
2. Nicola Casadei (Italie) / Scott Mrwolf ebike store Racing Team
3. Nicolas Quéré (France) / Team Giant
...13. Nicolas Lau (France) / Team PEUGEOT Cycles

The Enduro race in Ascona-Locarno comprised 5 timed specials and intermediate liaisons with a total of 42 kilometres, a positive elevation of 1300 metres and downhills of 2 500 metres. E-mountain bikes require a specific riding technique. When competing in the specials, the cyclists manage effort over 25 km/h during accelerations. Downhill phases procure similar sensations to the Enduro without electric assistance. During steep climbing phases and intermediate liaisons, the pilots manage battery range (500 Wh).
In the running-in phase at the first round of the WES on 13 April in Monaco, the PEUGEOT Cycles racing Team finished 12th and 22nd out of the 35 Elite cyclists competing in the Enduro. The first leg served to test the reliability of PEUGEOT’s mountain bikes. The spectators in Monaco applauded PEUGEOT Cycles’ return to competition.

The World E-Bike Series: a new competition

The World E-bikes Series championship is organized by the UCI (Cyclist International Union). It is considered as the very first edition of an electrically assisted mountain bike world cup.
Two races are run by the Elite Pilots, men and female. The Enduro race success is growing: it features individual starts with timed special stages on a demanding track with climbs but a majority of downhills. The Cross Country (XC) race features a mass start and a track with a series of climbs.

The four rounds of the WES championship take place in Europe in 2019. The first two rounds were located in Monaco on 13th & 14th April and on 4th & 5th May in Ascona-Locarno (Switzerland). The next rounds are scheduled on 14th & 15th October in Lake Maggiore (Italia) and on 5th & 6th October in Barcelona (Spain). Each round takes place over three days during the weekend. Friday is dedicated to the track Reconnaissance and the press conference, Saturday to the competition for Elite riders and Sunday to the rides for the amateurs.
Six trophies will award the winners of each competition at the end of the season: Enduro male; Enduro female; XC male; XC female; Team and Manufacturer.

The involvement of PEUGEOT Cycles in e-racing

The presence of PEUGEOT CYCLES in the new World E-bike Series highlights the electrification strategy of the PEUGEOT brand. From 2019, each new PEUGEOT vehicle will be available with an electric powertrain. Electrically assisted bicycles represents the future and currently account for over one-third of PEUGEOT Cycles sales.

E-racing is a guarantee of image and high performance for PEUGEOT’s next generation of e-bikes. The team riders are fully involved in developing future e-bikes for the general public. The PEUGEOT e-bikes are easy to ride and provide pleasure and silence during the rides. The PEUGEOT Cycles team racing bike based upon the PEUGEOT eM02 FS PowerTube (e= electrically assisted, M= Mountain, FS= Full Suspension, PowerTube = BOSCH battery integrated in the frame).
The legendary black-and-white chequered jersey was revived by the PEUGEOT Design Lab studio, which also designed the racing bike trims. The global brand design studio celebrates the return of the PEUGEOT Cycles racing Team to competition.

Média Content:
WES Instagram: https://instagram.com/wesseries?igshid=1knyixp7bd8h4
PEUGEOT Cycles Pilots Instagram: @nicolaumtb ; @jeanroch_vecten ; @ancelin.vincent
WES information: https://www.worldebikeseries.com/series/switzerland/