A round of the Enduro World Series, Madeira Bike Race and Trans Madeira… In recent years, Madeira has become a must-see destination for riders looking for wild and intense trails. For three years, our engineer Jérôme Huet has taken part in the MountainBike Madeira Meeting, a 5 year-old event which aims to show off the island's most beautiful trails. For the 2020 edition, we were partners of the event and so Jérôme was invited by the Clube naval do Seixal with three riders from the COMMENCAL ENDURO TEAM - Alexis Icardo, Alex Rudeau and Antoine Vidal. A great bunch of people!

Located in Seixail, part of the Municipality of Porto Moniz in the northwest of the island, the Clube Naval de Seixal offered riding packs in the week leading up to the race including a hotel, shuttle, guiding and race registration. For seven days our team had the opportunity to discover the most beautiful trails on the island with other riders. Andorra, Spain, France and of course Portugal were the nations represented this year. Local guide Marcos Franca was on hand and allowed the riders to concentrate on the two most important things - the ride and the magnificent scenery. Alexandre Jardim Andrade was also on hand and took care of the organisation like a boss. Indeed, despite difficult weather, they were still able to enjoy the splendour of the island. From the volcanoes of Pico de Arieiro through Boca do Risco overlooking the ocean and used during the Enduro World Series round, or the magnificent Sao Vicente descent accessible via the island's irrigation tunnels. Machico, Calheta, Fanal, Porto da Cruz... The list is long, but there are so many trails and places that make up the charm of this island. Every day like every evening the atmosphere was warm, thanks to laughter provided by the Franco-Spanish duo and meals around a BBQ or a local restaurant.

At the end of the week, Saturday and Sunday were reserved for the official MountainBike Madeira Meeting race. In lingering difficult conditions, all riders were able to ride in a tropical forest at an altitude of around 1000m. A difficult but magnificent race which saw Antoine Vidal win ahead of his teammate Alexis Icardo in 3rd position (he won the Junior category), while our very own Jérôme won in the Promoçao Masculinos category! Alex Rudeau had to face a mechanical problem.

We would like to thank all those present for such a great event, Alexandre Jadim Andrade (events coordinator and club trainer), Bruno SA Figueira (President of the Clube Naval de Seixal), Marcos Franca who guided throughout the week, Ernesto Fernandes, manager of the Clube Naval de Seixal bar/restaurant, as well as Sergio Zurdo from ENDURAMA for the atmosphere provided by the Spanish team all week!

Photos: Scott Windsor