The first Enduro World Series race of the season was certainly one for the books. Dealing with the high Andes altitude, major sun exposure and "anti-grip" dirt made the course difficult enough. But, add in nearly 20-minute long stages, livestock wandering on the course, and new format rules, and you’re dealing with a totally different beast.
Despite the challenges, it was a solid debut for Alchemy Factory Racing. Anneke Beerten finished 11th overall, showing some early season form that will surely net high results in Round 2 in Colombia. Cody Kelley had a rougher start to the season with a trio of crashes on Stage 1. He rallied for the balance of the event and came back to finish 41st overall.
We had the chance to catch up with Anneke and Cody after the race. Here’s what they had to say:
Anneke: "Chile was an amazing start of the EWS season. High up in the Andes Mountains where the dirt is different than anywhere else, finishing 11th overall and ending my final stage of the day with an 8th place finish was a good start to the season. The Arktos killed it on all the rough and long stages. It worked amazing all weekend!"
Cody: "It was a good start to a new season with the new team. A few crashes and struggles along the way, but not every weekend can be perfect and the bike is feeling great! I am focused and hungry for Colombia."
The next leg of EWS will be bringing us to Manizales, Colombia on March 30th. Stay tuned on our blog, Facebook and Instagram for updates on that race.
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All photos courtesy Dave Trumpore
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