Megavalanche 2017 - Race Day
Race day at the Megavalanche saw disaster strike. At 7:00 AM my phone rang and I was told the race was being changed due to high winds. The lift to the top of the mountain was unable to run, the glacier was off the cards. Instead of a start at 3300m, they moved to 2100m, without any snow, glacier or helicopter. This still left riders with 1300m of descending, and over 23 minutes of racing.
It was a bit of an anti-climax for everyone involved to miss out on the glacier, but there’s nothing anyone can do about the weather. Damien Oton took the win, closely followed by Francois Bailly Maitre and then Martin Maes.
Stormy skies rolled in early.
Pic Blanc was left untouched on race day.
High winds in Alpe d'Huez.
A different gondola was used as the other went to high up the mountain into the winds.
Bikes lay down, whilst riders went searching for cover.
The piste bashers were left open, which made a great hideout for the riders. Remy Absalon and Nico Quere looking up into the weather.
Craig Evans.
Josh Bryceland.
Damien Oton.
Remy Absalon.
Thomas Lapeyrie.
Martin Maes.
Megavalanche organiser, George Edwards was out working on the start arena to make sure everything worked out well.
Riders began to make their way to the start line, a short pedal from the lift station.
Sam Hill didn't have the weekend he was looking for here, a puncture in qualifying forced him back to the fourth row. He finished his day in 78th position, he's looking onward to next year for his return to the Mega.
George explains the changes to the riders.
The lineup is set...
And drop in, not quite as an impressive start as the glacier, but high speed and total carnage.
The dust in the first corner seriously impaired the rider's vision, there were a few big crashes on the corner.
A section of the qualifying track was used to link onto the main Mega track. This section is usually down to single file riding, but only a few hundred meters out of the start it was a free for all.
The storm really rolled in for the Mega Amateurs, Jamie Edwards taking a foot off around and sliding around this corner.
The front of the pack pedal away into the distance.
Joe Adsett.
2nd placed, Francois Bailly Maitre.
Number 1, Damien Oton.
Throughout the rest of the day the weather switched between sunshine and storms. A shame about the cancellations this year, but we'll be back next year for some more glacier action.
MENTIONS: @BWinder
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That said, back then the qualifier track got linked to the finals' track so after Alpe d'Huez you were still riding down to Allemont. Didn't they do that this year?
Bad weather at altitude is no joke.
But if they started at 2100m this time, the toughest rocky bit has indeed already been. But the link to the finals' track that year was in or even after Alpe d'Huez (at about 1800m), right? So they could still have connected to the finals track. Any clue whether they did that this year too, so race down to Allemont?
That year we went left at the 2100m station,for a fresh cut track and joined the Mega track above Alpe d'Huez. I'll have a look at this year's track on Strava later.
new.metacafe.com/watch/11528915/man-caught-cheating-in-the-megavalanche-race
Funny how Joe Connell's Facebook has closed suddenly and all the footage on YouTube has been removed...
PRESS NOTE
N°1613 Disqualifié / 1613 disqualified
Thanks for your testimonies and your “self-control” that allow us to respect sport etic
by merely disqualifying the number 1613 Joe CONNELL who doesn’t respect the rules.
He was 27th at the Megavalanche, that means all competitors
after him will be advanced from one place.
You can see the results here www.timingzone.com/megavalanche-alpe-dhuez-2017/#1_BD6E72
You can see the results here www.timingzone.com/megavalanche-alpe-dhuez-2017/#1_BD6E72
You can see the results here www.timingzone.com/megavalanche-alpe-dhuez-2017
where can I see the results?
dirtmountainbike.com/videos/rider-1613-disqualified-footage-emerges-megavalanche-french-line.html
. Speaking to the rider on Monday, he told us he had been nudged down a bank off the side of the singletrack by another rider and felt terrible when he realised where he was. He claimed he hated seeing French lines at the EWS and that he had probably only gained 15 places.
“Fair enough”, we thought – young kid, probably got caught up in the standard Megavalanche carnage and did what he had to to keep his race going. It’s not worth getting him in trouble for a few page views, Ben Deakin clearly thought the same and the video has pretty much gone from the internet.
This morning, a new video has emerged. Friend of the mag Aidan Bishop posted up his view of the race that shows the incident from behind. We’ve slowed down the moment in question below and you can clearly see the rider chooses to hop the tape while being given racing room by the rest of the pack.
Read more at dirtmountainbike.com/videos/rider-1613-disqualified-footage-emerges-megavalanche-french-line.html#yAT1b2pHPEB1UjUM.99