NUE Series race Endurance 100 set for the weekend

Endurance racers will contest the next round of the National Ultra Endurance (NUE) Series in Utah with the Endurance 100 coming up this weekend. They'll race a new course with 2,000 feet less climbing than last year. The course features more sections for recovery and more rolling ups and downs. Organizers reported that marking efforts were delayed a day by rain, but the recent rain has left the trails in good condition.

As the second to last round in the NUE, competition for the series is heating up. Chris Eatough (Trek / VW) is perhaps the favorite for the win in the race and the overall. The six-time 24 Hours of Adrenaline World Champion recently stated his intentions to Cyclingnews to skip this year's worlds and go for the NUE series overall title. He now sits in seventh, after competing in only three of five races, however, he'll tackle the last two rounds as he goes for a win. Results from each racer's best four events will determine the series winners.

In Utah, Eatough will face off against Josh Tostado, who has won the Montezuma's Revenge several times and the Breckenridge 100. Tostado has a history of going fast in Utah. He took second in the E100 12 hour race in 2006. Long-time endurance racer Tinker Juarez (Cannondale) won the E100 Solo in 2005, and he'll be there to do battle, too.

On the women's side, Amanda Riley tops the favorites list. She finished second in Leadville earlier this summer and finished third last year at the E100. Unfortunately, last year's winner Lynda Wallensfels and Monique Sawicki will not be racing. They'll be saving their energy for doing battle at the 24 Hour Solo Worlds in Monterey the following weekend.

The Endurance 100 also marks the end of the Overall E 100 Series, whose winners will be awarded trophies created by blacksmith Karl Redel.

NUE Standings after five events

To view complete NUE standings, including for singlespeed and masters categories, click here.