EWS on pause for a year
• Fenella Harris of Springfield racing in Derby’s 2019 EWS event.
By Taylor Clyne
August 05, 2020
Derby’s Enduro World Series (EWS) is the latest victim to fall at the hands of the coronavirus pandemic with organisers announcing the event will be a no show for March 2021.
EWS’s return to Blue Derby for a third time sparked a further building and development buzz with more accommodation, businesses and trails being built to prepare for the global mountain biking event.
EWS managing director Chris Ball said it had been an incredibly tough year.
“The Oceania rounds in Derby and New Zealand will be set back to become the opening legs of the 2022 series,” he said.
Hence there will be no championship rounds this year, but Derby will have the honour of hosting the series opener on April 2-3 followed by Nelson a week later.
Mayor Greg Howard said by 2022 hopefully the international borders will be open, and the pandemic will be under control.
“As it has been witnessed at the last two events, thousands of people flock to the town from all over the world and the flow on effect for the whole North-East has been quite astounding,” he said.
“It will be difficult to be able to afford the sort of exposure gives to Derby, Dorset and Tasmania.
“Despite losing next year’s event, to have the opening round of the 2022 series will be a huge bonus and it will mean both the Council and businesses will be cherry ripe to prepare for foreign visitors.
“It will also mean that the budget allocation of $130,000 in this year’s budget for a couple of new trails for the series will now be moved into next year’s budget.”
As a result of the restructure the 2020 season will now solely take place within Europe with restrictions on rider and spectator attendance in effect.