Miranda Factory Team wins again at Alpe D´Huez

Emanuel Pombo dominates the E-Bike class

---

This weekend took place at the French resort of Alpe D´Huez, the 2020 edition of Maxiavalanche. Departing from the Dome des Rousses (at almost 3000m above sea level) and arriving at the local Expo Village, the imposing descent was approximately seven kilometers long and proved to be quite demanding for both athletes and bikes. In a particularly unusual year, the organization opted for a shorter format and two timed runs.

For the second year in a row, the athletes from the portuguese UCI formation managed to put their names on the shortlist of winners. After José Borges dominant victory at Megavalanche 2019, this time it was Emanuel Pombo who won the first place in the E-Bike category. The athlete from Madeira started by winning Saturday's qualifying. On Sunday, the Miranda Bike Parts athlete excelled again, winning both heats. “I am very happy to be back in the competitions and especially to win here at Alpe D’Huez. The race was very tough, but I felt good and had an easy time getting used to the altitude and the course. This result reflects well the good work put in my training in the last months and also the quality of my KTM”.


Tiago Ladeira was also highlighted in the E-Bike category. The Miranda Factory Team athlete, despite having little experience in this type of competition, showed his worth. On Saturday he finished just behind his teammate Emanuel. On Sunday, Ladeira imposed a very conservative pace, ending in 3rd in both heats.“Everything went very well and I am happy for the third place in this class. The race was super exhausting, but above all, fun. I had never done an avalanche of this level, but it is something that I will certainly do again”.


José Borges would be the unlucky one in this edition of the race. The “King of Megavalanche” ended up breaking the dropout of his bike in the qualifying run, ending the descent at the bottom of the pack. Despite everything and with a wild card given from the organization, Borges started on Sunday from the fourth row finishing the first descent in 19th place. In the second run and with a 16th place, the renowned athlete would finish in 17th place in the Maxi Cup class. ““It was really bad luck. I was feeling very strong and capable of fighting for the win. I want to thank the organization for the wild card and for giving the heads up in the finals that I was in the fourth row. It was very difficult to overtake, but I ended up making two very strong descents. The feelings were good and now I have to think about the next race”.
The next competition will be between August 13th and 16th - Bosch EMTB Challenge in Verbier - Switzerland.

This and other info at: www.facebook.com/mirandabikeparts

Text: Evo-press
Photos: InovPhoto