Enduro World Series recruits its own to create new trophies

The yellow jersey, pink jersey, green jersey, polka dot jersey. The rainbow stripes. Cycling is full of iconic trophies, and the new Enduro World Series aims to offer its own distinctive recognition for winners. The series announced on Thursday its plans for the design and making of a trophy to honor the winners of the inaugural 2013 series.

The announcement both creates a new tradition for the Enduro World Series, and breaks with the tradition of other cycling disciplines by awarding the world championship title to the Enduro World Series' overall winner, rather than to the winner of a single world championship race within the series.

"Traditionally, winning the trophy meant winning a one day world championship. Enduro World Series won't have a one day world championship. Instead, the rider who wins the overall series will be crowned the world champion," said EWS Managing Director Chris Ball.

"Enduro is a combination of a lot of individual stages, so the world champion should be the one who rides all the stages, the overall best."

The new tradition being established will mean an annual call-out within the extended enduro community for an artist or designer to design and craft the trophy.

Anka Martin, along with husband Sven, has agreed to serve as designer of the inaugural trophy.

Bike pilgrims and former South Africans, Anka Martin and her photojournalist husband Sven, live their Antipodean summers in the "sunniest town in New Zealand" where they guide epic MTB trips, and out of a trusty European-based van for the northern riding season, from which Anka races enduro and other disciplines and Sven shoots the World Cup circuit.

Anka has put in thousands of kilometres in the saddle for years racing the likes of the Trans-Provence, the Megavalanche, Enduro Nations, Mountain of Hell, and Cape Epic rides. Also an artist, with a background in textile design, Anka recently collaborated on the design of the SDG Allure women's saddle.

Their design will be brought to life by Edinburgh-based artisan, Simon Muir. A furniture maker and bike racer, Muir hand makes wooden mudguards for bikes and is renowned for his skill and detailed eye.

Photographer Sven Martin will document the process.

"This fits with the creative, rider focused nature of the Enduro World Series," said Ball, "and our commitment to making the community part of the organisation in every way. Sven and Anka are totally ingrained in the enduro community, and Simon's craftsmanship is unparalleled. I personally am super excited to have him bring their ideas to life."