Sam Hill Takes Third in EWS-E Tweed Valley

The forest trails of Innerleithen and surrounding hills are legendary among mountain bike racers. For the EWS-E race, competing riders faced three loops, a total of 14 stages and 3450 meters of climbing (11,300 feet) on the tightly wound track. While the trails are already among the most demanding on the circuit, the rainy Scottish weather added to the challenge and created slick surface conditions on Thursday.

Monster Energy’s Hill made his e-bike debut on a Nukeproof MegaWatt courtesy of his long-time sponsor, Chain Reaction Cycles. His race was off to a tough start during the first stage, when he finished in 22nd position in a difficult uphill Power Stage. Drawing on his rich experience, the veteran regained his momentum to win stages 7, 8, and 9. Finishing his impressive first EWS-E competition, Hill commenced to win all four final stages.

When all was said and done, Hill took the win in seven out of the race’s 14 stages and finished in a strong third place overall. He cleared the track in 0:41:27.29 minutes, finishing 1 minute and 11 seconds behind winner Nicolas Vouilloz, with Kevin Marry in second place.

“Racing my first E-EWS was a lot of fun, there was some really good stages which I enjoyed,” said Hill. “I learned a lot as the day went on about how to race the Nukeproof Megawatt and be efficient with it. To end up on the podium was awesome and something I wasn’t expecting so it made the day that much better.”

Hill is no stranger to crossing over between disciplines. As a downhill mountain bike racer, the Australian has won two World Cup Series titles (2007/2009), and five World Championships. He then made the successful switch into enduro racing to become the back-to-back Enduro World Series overall champion in 2017, 2018, and 2019. His successful start at Tweed Valley adds a top three-finish in electric mountain bikes to the legacy.