The Rocky Mountain Race Face EWS Team had an incredible year in 2022. Bikes and bodies were tested. Personal bests were bested. Tears were shed and brakes were bled. And it all culminated with some standout results from our three hardworking athletes, including enduro racing veteran Jesse Melamed getting crowned EWS World Champion.
As the celebrations faded into the rearview mirror of the 2022 race season, Remi, ALN and Jesse all got to pursue some of their secondary vocations. You know, things that don’t necessarily involve riding bikes. The postseason gave them all a chance to polish up on these extracurricular skills and refine the plots of their (potentially) upcoming biopics. Let’s see what they came up with.
Andréane Lanthier Nadeau (aka ALN) – The Creator
The French Canadian sensation known as ALN hails from the deeply rooted XC racing culture of Quebec, but her move to BC and subsequent shift to enduro made her stock rise faster than a sourdough starter. And bread was just the beginning. Earning herself a BSc. in Psychology at the University of Victoria, ALN supplements her deep academic comprehension and disciplined athlete training schedules with the meditative state of crocheting. Will 2024 involve more riding of bikes and racing bikes? The end of the long, dark Canadian winter will reveal all.
ALN’s 2022 season highlights:
4th at EWS Val di Fassa Trentino
3 x Top 5 EWS Finishes
Ranked 8th Women's Elite Overall
Season 1 of ALN’s Breadcast received several 5-star ratings on iTunes
Remi Gauvin (aka Remi the Semi) – The Enforcer
Every gang needs an enforcer. And when Remi isn’t getting jacked up on espresso shots and doing his impression of Sylvester Stallone in the 1987 box office flop Over the Top at his local brewery, this Vancouver Island boy can be found pummeling the trails of the EWS circuit or socking the steep Squamish rock slabs down the road from his house. A downhill racer turned enduro shredder, Remi rarely lets his bike out of his sight. Probably a good thing, too. His bike would get jealous of too much attention elsewhere.
Remi’s 2022 season highlights:
3rd at EWS Whistler
2 x Top 10 EWS Finishes
Ranked 11th Men's Elite Overall
Potential side hustle as a bouncer out front of Squamish’s A-Frame Brewing.
Jesse Melamed – The Champ
Growing up in Whistler, Jesse threw his athleticism at ski racing and hockey before settling on bikes as his undisputed passion. After 10 years of hard work racing enduro at every level—plus earning himself an engineering degree—Jesse ascended the ranks this year to rightfully claim his place at the top for 2022. The hours of tinkering with mechanical minutia in the lab have paid off, as has his longstanding rivalry with Richie Rude. One thing is for sure, Jesse will be returning to the circuit to defend his crown in 2023.
Jesse’s 2022 season highlights:
1st at EWS Petzen-Jamnica, Whistler and Sugarloaf
6 x Top 3 EWS Finishes
EWS World Champion
Found some really good chain lube for 2023
Read the full EWS World Champ interview with Jesse here.
The Rocky Mountain Race Face EWS truly earned their place amongst the greats this year. After a few weeks of rest and recreation, it’s time for a well-earned victory lap.
