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Where to E-Race This Year?

By Martin Atanasov

E-biking is getting traction, and 2023 is promising to be the best one for e-races so far. The number of local races doubles, and many cycling competitions are adding a special event for e-cyclists. The great thing about this e-bike explosion is that nowadays, you can find all sorts of e-bike races, regardless of your stamina, technical abilities and experience. So, to help you find the best e-races, we created a calendar of the top 6 most renowned e-bike races that have been announced for 2023.

Transriviera – May 7, 2023 – Menton, France

The season starts early this year, which stands to reason, looking at the warm winter that was dreadful for skiers but a blessing for all cyclists and MTB riders. On May 7, the coy but picturesque town of Menton will host the annual Transriviera extreme Cross Country race. Thousands of professional and semi-professional riders flock to the French Riviera to enjoy the moderate temperatures and the first hot spring days. This fantastic race will give you a glimpse of the breathtaking Tende mountains and take you right to the beach of Menton.

You can choose between 80 and 45 km races. The longer one will take you from the top of Tende to the beach of Menton through picturesque forests and breathtaking views of the French coastline. During the whole ride, you can enjoy the mesmerising turquoise waters of the Mediterranean, showered in the mid-spring sun.

The e-bike event will start at 9:00, so e-riders should be an hour and 15 minutes early to check in their batteries and go through a preliminary bike check. Only two batteries are allowed for this challenge, so you will have to show off both your bike and the battery. The track is amazing, with rolling uphill and steep single-track sections. This race is definitely not for beginners but intermediate riders, who don’t want to race for the top spots, will manage to traverse down the track.

If you prefer a more laid-back version of the same race, just enter the 45 km competition, which starts halfway through from Breil sur Roya and avoids the most technical downhill sections. Don’t worry, though. The bottom half is just as entertaining and will get you through some astonishing places on your way down to Menton.

The sad news is that the devastating storm Alex decimated much of the area last year, and the local hotels are still not fully recovered. So if you want to join Transriviera, make sure to book your accommodations right away. If that adventure sounds like the perfect mid-spring vacation, check out all you need to know here.

Bordeaux-Paris – May 27, 2023 – Bordeaux, France

This event is a true test of your endurance. The 650 km race across France from Bordeaux to Paris will exhaust your body, mind and soul, but if you manage to finish it within the 40-hour limit, you will have something to brag about your entire life. During the ride, you will climb 5,600 metres and can enjoy three aid stations. Keep in mind, though, that your 250-euro entry fee won’t cover accommodations and battery changing or recharging, so you need to plan accordingly when you start this journey. On the other hand, with only 40 hours to finish the 650 km race, you will have to ride with an average of 16.25 kph, so you won’t really need any accommodations during the ride.

This magnificent event, which will challenge your entire body, is scheduled for May 27, 2023, and will take you through the picturesque French countryside. The e-bike start will be right after the six regular bike groups. Make sure to be a few days earlier, as you will have to take your bib the day before the event. Moreover, enjoying Bordeaux for several days is generally a good idea. The city deserves your attention.

Megève Mont-Blanc Cycling – June 11, 2023 – Megève, France

If 650 km sounds a bit too much for you, a better alternative would be to just wait until June 11 and join the Megève Mont-Blanc Cycling. This challenge will take you to the French Alps where you will prove your worth before the Alp’s highest peak – Mont Blanc. Don’t worry, though. Despite the name, the course won’t take you through the famous peak itself but you will circle in the valley below with occasional detours through the mountains. While the race is not particularly hard, you still have to have at least some preparation, as the 80 km course will offer you over 2.2 km of ascend.

The organisers arranged for two refuellings along the distance and some pretty nifty perks at the start/finish line at Palais des Sports at Megève.

The race will start at 8 PM on June 11 but be sure to be there a day early to take your bib. You can enjoy a hot shower and a warm meal at the finish line, and if you finish before 12:10 PM, you will also receive a medal. Naturally, you will get additional prizes if you are among the fastest on the route.

Vätternrundan – June 10, 2023 – Motala, Sweden

If going up 2 km in a single race is not your thing, yet you still want to join an endurance race with your e-bike at the beginning of June, you might want to check Vätternrundan. The Swedish race became an annual tradition, and its popularity grew by the day. Last year 450 riders went on to join the fun. This year, the organisational community is expecting more than 500 participants.

The starting point is a small town between two gorgeous lakes named Motala, and while the city is beautiful on its own, the race will take you through some truly breathtaking places, which might cause you to forget you are actually competing. Then, just a few kilometres south, all cyclists will go through the picturesque mediaeval town of Vadstena. From then on, things only get better. Next, the trail goes through the Omberg mountain (which is actually only 170 m high, so don’t be too excited about that). Finally, after you’re done with the short climb, you will have the chance to ride alongside the breathtaking Vättern lake and go through some other mediaeval towns before you get back to Motala.

The entry fee is comparatively high and is around 62 euros. Still, you are in one of the most expensive countries in Europe, so that shouldn’t be surprising. Riders should remember that only one battery is allowed with only one charge. This means that while the trace is not very technical from a riding point of view, the battery control will determine the winner and the loser.

All Around e-MTB – June 28-July 2, 2023 – Aosta, Italy

All Around e-MTB is the first entirely e-bike-dedicated event of the year. The race will take place in the Italian Alps with a starting point in Aosta. The program has two stages – a 5 stage race covering 230 km of mesmerising and thrilling high mountain tracks and a 2-stage race covering only 95 km of astonishing views and blood-boiling mountain tracks. It will start from Antey and will cover the last two stages of the longer race. The All Around 200 will include a total of 9,650 metres of ascend and more than 10k metres in descent, while those who ride the All Around 100 will only enjoy around 3.5k of climb and descent.

The track is not easy by any means, though there will be open registration for non-professionals. Riders should keep in mind that they get only one battery charge for the first two stages. This means they will have to manage their battery pretty well if they want to get to the end of the stage. During stages 3 and 4, there are charging stations in the middle but you will need to organise your own charging equipment if you want to fill your battery there.

The start of the longer race will be on June 28, 2023, and the short one will start on June 1.

Verbier e-bike Festival – August 10-13 – Verbier, Switzerland – E-bike World Tour

Finally, we come to the Creme de la creme of e-mountain bike racing. This is the most prestigious e-bike event of the year, which will take place in the town of Verbier, which is well-known across the cycling community. The festival will be five days, from August 10 to 15, and will host several high-profile e-bike events. All guests, no matter if they want to race, will have the chance to enjoy the Swiss mountain biking life. They can enjoy e-bike testing from more than 30 manufacturers. Or they can join one of several gourmet tours, taking them to neighbouring villages for a bite of the most delicious local cuisine. Or they can simply enjoy one of the countless trails in the surrounding mountains.

For those who want to race, there are three prestigious events:

The Défi de Val de Bagnes is a race for amateurs who enjoy mountain bike rides in their free time. They can choose from two trails – an easy to medium 60 km ride or a 100 km one of more challenging terrain with a bit of extra technique needed to finish the challenge.

If you feel more confident in your abilities, you might want to try the Bosch eMTB challenge. This race will test your riding, navigational and battery management skills, as well as your endurance. The race will take place on August 14, starting and finishing in Verbier. The track is 35 km long, and you can choose between red and black trails. This is a great challenge for intermediate riders who wish to test their skills in race conditions.

This festival’s highlight is one of the most thrilling events of the e-MTB year – the E-Tour du Mont-Blanc. Needless to say, this event is only for highly experienced riders. This three-day race will cover 250 km of high alpine trails. Riders will climb more than 9,000 metres and descend more than 10,000. This is the place where you can show off your skills against some of the best riders from around the world.

The whole festival is one spectacular celebration of e-biking, and if you are into this sport and plan on only one event for the entire year, this should be it.

There you have it

You might have noticed that some of the events from the 2022 calendar are missing. Most notably, the French and Austrian events from the E-Bike World Tour schedule. We are well aware of them but by the time of writing this article, they hadn’t announced the dates, so we couldn’t add them here. Still, if these are your favourites, keep a closer eye on them. They are usually at the start and in the last third of July.