Early October in Finale Ligure.
Crowds snake down the mountainside as the late afternoon sun hits the Italian Riviera. Aussie rider Sam Hill makes the final approach towards the ocean and Enduro World Series victory.
It all seems like a hazy memory now, doesn’t it?
Fast forward to 2018 and Sam finds himself with a convincing overall series lead going into the latter stages of his title defense. Enduro’s top dog is showing no signs of relenting in his ruthless pursuit of success. But make no mistake, conquests like this are never easy.
It’s hard graft that makes a rider. And for Sam, the hustle never really ends.
Earlier this year, Sam and the rest of Team CRC Mavic headed out to their training camp in Tennessee. Off-season training is critical and he knows he needs to stay sharp to keep the chasing pack at arms length.
“I think it’s important to always try to learn and become a better rider. You can always improve”.
But even the best like to leave the rigorous training schedule behind now and again, just to remind themselves why they fell in love with riding in the first place.
It’s why Sam ditched the bike park at Windrock for the day and went in search for something a little more… natural. And boy, are we glad they got it on tape.
Check out the video below to see Sam in action.