First timer !

Race format

The megavalanche is basically a three day event.

Friday is qualifying day, and it's important to feel at your best for two reasons.  Firstly it’s a tough course filled with riders of varying ability.  Secondly, today decides which race you run in over the weekend.

For the actual mega race there are five races you can qualify in.  Within these there are different categories as you would normally find at race events (vets, masters etc).  

For the purposes of this blog I am only going to briefly explain how you place into the five races.

The below numbers are unconfirmed and approximate.

If you place 1-35 in your heat you will race in the main megavalanche race. (mass start).

If you place 36-70 in your heat you will race in the mega challenger race.

(mass start).

If you place 71-105 in your heat you will race in the mega amateurs race.

(mass start).

If you place 106 - 140 in your heat you will race in mega affinity one.

(timed run).

If you place after 140 in your heat you will race in mega affinity two.

(timed run).

You don't need to worry about getting a good enough qualifying position in order to take part in the Event.  Everyone gets to ride ... As long as you don't collect any injuries on the qualy.  Each qualifying heat is a mix of ability with the first two rows of the grid reserved for pro / semi pro.  The rest is quite a random mix. And yes it's a mental mass start. Do not be late ! It's a long Q to get the gondola up to the start point so get there early.

Timed run Affinity classes are races against the clock, so its actually a good place to be if you don't fancy the mental mass start and want to see how quick you can complete it.  You would be surprised how quick the best times are in this class.  The Mass start events are why we are all there really, this is not an average race and it one of a handful of events of this type.  If you are crazy enough to do it and good enough to qualify then go for it.

First Timer

Last year (2012) I placed 108th in my qualifier so I was classed into the Affinity 1 race. I knew I could have placed higher as a few circumstances had held me back on the day. Initially I was a little disappointed especially being so close to making it to one of the mass start events... But, I soon realised, don't underestimate the utter madness of a mass start.

I had spent many hours online researching the races and I new I wanted to place well.  There is a lot of rubbish written out there on forums, on you tube and such like, about how it’s not worth racing if you end up in the affinity classes. Frankly…that’s just not true.  And i guess that’s why i writing this blog.  It’s such a huge weekend that there are so many different perspectives and experiences playing out for people all at the same time.  I am writing with out the pretentious stuff, just the fun stuff . So if you are thinking of going for the first time, you can have a read of this blog and get an idea of what it will be like as a normal guy like me.

My Level
This had been my first downhill bike race in over 15 years, in fact the last time I did race had been on a GT Zaskar with Cantis and Rockshoxx Quadras.   

As a first timer to Alpine riding and to a mass start event it quickly became apparent that I had underestimated the terrain and the mindset needed. The gradients are nothing like what you can find in southern England, as far a my experience had been anyway.  The terrain is very dusty in places and the volume of traffic sharing the run at the same time really kicks it up.  


The lack of oxygen in the air has a massive effect on performance and recovery.  However fit you are, you are not fit enough.  The Tour de France guys don’t get this high up Alpe D’huez, and up at the snow line it can be a real struggle to keep going if you sprint to early. Most of all, the mass starts are a bit nerve wracking, the ribbon goes up and everyone guns it, there is no messing about.

Now for me the only big problems turned out to be the dust, and that start.  I have skied in the Alps a lot and I have even skied at Alpe D'huez including the black run used for the main event.  So steep stuff isn't a problem for me, if you have skied or boarded on reds or blacks then you have probably stood at the top of things that feel like cliff faces.  It's fair to say that there is very little common technique but at least you would be used to looking down and not sweating too much.  It's this same experience that helped with the altitude.  Was I able to cope with it better than others? Probably not, but I new what to expect, how quickly I would tire and I knew I had to manage how much I pushed myself in the opening stages of the main event.

Qualifying –

Somehow we had not managed to complete a full run of the qualifying course during the days before the Friday.  We had covered most of the track, or so we thought, but the opening section, some of which is though snow, was missing from our knowledge.  This was the first mistake, we stood at the top looking over the small valley section that leads down to the snow, and then out of sight. The track starts metres from a turn and quickly bottle necks on the bend. It is dusty, rocky and gullys cross the track.  My good friend Pete and myself watched the first wave go off.  Within moments the full mix of capabilities were all throwing full aggression at the first corner.  The pros seemed to be out of sight quickly with a handful of the next line hitting the deck and others desperately trying to not ride over them.  I was in heat two and my nerves started to kick in right there and then.  Maybe 780mm bars aren't such a great idea after all!  

We watched the front runners of heat one snake their way through the turns throwing out a cloud of dust. In vain we watched and tried to track their route so we had some idea of what was the good route.

I lined up in my row and mostly the mood was good.  There are plenty of groups who obviously know each other, that said this is the only time I felt the competitive nature overtake the fun.  Pete reported similar.  As the last minutes passed before the start gate opened he turned to the guy sat next to him and said 'good luck mate' ..... No response, nothing, not even the slightest smile of acknowledgement. I had a similarly grumpy sole next to me who seemed to be waggling his renthals about and playing the psyc out game.  Three minutes later I rode round him as he scrabbled to his feet after digging his bars into another riders baggy pockets.

The start wasn't actually as bad as I thought.  I couldn't help but hang back a little with the intention of staying on the bike at the expense of a few places.  I weaved round various bikes and limbs that littered the first corner and laid down all the power I had down the straight towards the next corner.  My downhill rig was slow to accelerate but I was able to take the more unforgiving lines and make a few places up on the inside. By the third and fourth corner the field had already settled down and I could look up to see the leaders were already massively out in front.  Corner four was where my problems started.  My skiing had taught me to keep breathing hard in order to get as much oxygen though. This wasn't working and instead I had inhaled huge amounts of dust.  This combined with the sprint from cold left me with my first real asthma attack in 10 years.  For the next three miles I had no choice but slow my pace and concentrate on regaining control of my breathing.  The following shallow climbs and undulations across the smooth rock is amazing to ride and I tried to focus on enjoying myself and let go of the competitive side that had taken over.  Small sections of snow serve to bottle neck the field as riders come together for a handful of narrow crossing points and then disperse again to take advantage of the multitude of routes that make up the top section.  Finally my lungs relaxed a bit and I coughed up some of dust.  The wide open space narrowed back down to a 4WD track and the incline increased towards the technical single track.  I was able to make back a few places before entering the step single track sections.  We were now on more familiar ground as I had practiced everything from here on.  It was clear that some of the riders immediately in front of me had either not been down this at all or severally lacked the confidence needed to attack the berms with speed.  Looking back I now wonder if some of these guys were actually back markers from the previous heat. This section is steep and you need the speed to stick to the top of the berm thus staying out the rocks.  Large drops that require serious arse on back wheel maneuvers are plenty with the occasional one launchable.  Along here is the small ‘North Shore’ section (as people called it) it’s a few timber sections with drops that hug a very narrow and step bit of trail.  A nice nerve trembling fallaway threatens on the right with some strategically placed crash mats laid out to save riders from impaling themselves should they not navigate the slight turn.  If your good you breeze this part only slowing to gain control of your tyres on the relatively slippery wood.  If your like me then its at the edge of capability.  I had attempted this in practice but nearly brocken my ankle in the process, learning that trying difficult things in practice days can jeopardize the whole week.  Another rider had pointed out at dinner that I shouldn’t try to ride this section.  I had been expressing my frustration at not having conquered it and he explained that on race day I wouldn’t be able to ride it anyway as most people will be walking it.  Sure enough every rider in front of me was off their bike and looking over it deciding on how to get down.  I dismounted with momentum and bounced down it on foot passing some ditherers and remounted the bike while on the run.  Three more places gained and I was happy.

Pete had not even attempted this in practice but with the spirit and aggression of the race decided to plough down it come what may.  The first drop he made only to be clonked over the side by a pedestrian and his bike. He found himself on the crash mat with a hole in his side… Literally!  I wish I had seen it.  He probably would have made it down if it hadn't been for the walker.



I became stuck in a group of four and we were all being held up by one guy who was not taking the hint,  my asthma had fallen off enough for me to scream at him.  

Chances for a pass here are few and he wasn’t going to move.  As we found our way to the next short climb this chap pulled away from me and a few others and I was still behind him as we descended down to the village of Alpe D’heuz.  The braking bumps down here were already starting to get nasty and the poor high speed capability of my boxxer forks started to show.  Big thumps they loved but high speed stutters left me pining for my old 2004 triple 8s.

The next section is a lot of fun, it runs alongside a road and into the town.  Its quite flat but it swoops along with the option to takes some ramps and maybe use them to make up a place or two.  Three of us were still stuck behind this one guy who wasn’t going to pick up speed or let us past, the rider in front of me took one of the ramps and the local crowed whooped and cheered. I swooped round and took the ‘chicken line’.  He nearly landed on top of me as I tried to take the opportunity to get another place.  I realised ramp or no ramp, with all the dust we were creating none of us were going to change order.  We started to drop into the town.  This is brilliant fun, sweeping into tunnels across paths, up storm drains and down grass banks.  Finally we all past ‘that guy’ one buy one, I managed to out brake him at a corner and I didn’t see him again.  We crossed the bridge and dropped down onto the road that is the last real chance of an easy overtake.  The last section is DH4 and I love it. 

Most of it is not overtaking friendly but if someone has a bad run on a berm you can take advantage pretty easily.  It swingsback and forth across the incline and down through some trees where a hand ful of drops will slow the less able riders leaving the more confident / practice a last chance to nip past.  Again its dusty, and my breathing suffered again as I clug to another riders back wheel waiting to take advantage of any mistake. Nice fast single track leads down to the final bit of road and a sprint to the finish. I cleaned my bike down only to find my seat pack was open wide and the entire contents had obviously strewn itself along the course.  They provide with a free sandwich and drink at the finish so I took up a spot and waited for Pete to turn up in the third heat. And sure enough he did, with a hole in his side but a big smile on his face.

I’ll be posting back with a bit about race day and also the bikes.