Cycling: After almost a full season missing the Enduro World Series, Jerome Clementz celebrated a big win last weekend. In Rotorua he was able to win the first stop of the EWS and set the stage for his possible second EWS title.
Small in stature but big on presence – Jerome Clementz has had a great start to the season in New Zealand. After the Frenchman was sidelined for much of last season with injury and watching Jared Graves win his EWS title, Clementz has been preparing extensively for the new season. And with success, as was easy to see at the Crankworx in Rotorua at the weekend.
“We train hard in the winter and we don't know how we compare to the other riders, so the first race of the season is always special. It's a big uncertainty. Then winning the first race is unbelievable. You know you've done everything right and it's a great confirmation.", said Clementz after his victory in Rotorua.
After the first four stages, Jerome Clementz and his compatriot Fabien Barel were only a few seconds apart. Almost unimaginable when you consider that the drivers had already completed almost 20 minutes of pure racing time. But Barel put the pressure on. Stage 5 secured Barel with a clear stage win and made up a lot of ground; However, it wasn't enough against Clementz's extremely consistent performance. In the end, a 12-second lead ensured Jerome Clementz's victory. “The longer the day got, the better it went for me. I rode very consistently and put in solid runs. I didn't attack too much on the pedaling passages, so I had enough air for the technical passages to not make any mistakes there. My equipment was perfect, which gave me a lot of confidence, especially on the last long stage.”
