Perhaps I should order a rear axle conversion kit so that I can run 650B drop-outs. I’m going with a Vigilante up front and Minion in the back most likely.
I’m in (with mc up there ^)
Forecast does look like it will be a bit wet at some point, but I’ve seen 4 slightly different forecasts on 4 different sites now, only consistency between them was some rain in the afternoons just a question of how much
Bit of rain is fine, hopefully will be nothing like last years mudbath, but the Alps had a very wet summer last year, think it’s been much drier so far
I/we think it can be bought or dealt with on the day…
If you have a BC race licence then you do not need a doctors note. If not then just a basic note from your GP stating that you are fit to compete. Or just pay the couple of € fee and not bother with a note.
I’ve got the day insurance from the mega, but then thought about it and given the little to no info given about it and the stories I’ve heard about bad organisation, plus the fact the site is useless I went for dogtag as well, If I need to make a claim that’ll be the best £45 I’ve ever spent!
It did say you don’t need a note with the insurance but I don’t trust the site and would rather have one tbh just in case it was a typo or something
1:16, 109th in challengers. Got a bad start on the snow and was a bit frustrating being stuck behind people walking down stuff but seized every opportunity to overtake and absolutely loved it! Got back at 5am this morning, not enjoying work today….
I took a hardtail got 2 punctures in the quali and ended up in the affinity. Went to Grenoble bought a Lapierre zesty then got a puncture in the race followed by a broken seat post which left me limping in 1h40. Turned out to be an expensive trip. Them braking bumps are something else.
Had a steady qualifier, a bit frustrated by a rider who took all the overtaking lines holding me up until he ran out of talent at the new bus stops by the road, letting me go.
Went from near the front of the challengers to pretty much the back when everybody on the left side including myself slid off the side of the ski slope.
Did lots of waiting for people walking technical bits on the rocks, managed to pass quite a few on the climb out of Alp Duez. I had a clearish run down Bravery and fun passing in the woods, a time 1.27 in the end. I should probably have been more aggressive after the snow but at the end of the day it was fun and I’m injury free.
I ran a Chunky monkey tubeless on the front and a Magic Mary on the back with a DH Tube after it was clear a Smorg wouldn’t cut it on the back (a flat every 100 yards and walk into alp duez to buy a tyre in practice).
…albeit in the Megavalanche Amateurs. 4th overall, 3rd in the Masters cat with a time of 58:33.
After a great start from the 4th row in my quali I was gunning for a top ten finish – aiming to get into the main race with the pros. Rolled my (tubeless) tyre off the rim at the bottom of the grassy zig zags and ended up finishing around 76th, which stuck me on the front row of the 3rd race, so not an entirely bad place to be.
Not a bad start in the main race either; even with 5 stacks on the snow I was in 2nd place – one of which I lost after another crash on the traverse and another place on the slog over the brow.
Wanted to get down in under an hour in whichever race I ended up racing in, so happy days. Would’ve liked to have ridden in the main race, but can’t really complain at coming home with a big ass Megavalanche medal!
I got lucky and had a clean and reasonably quick qualifier ending up in the second to last row of the main race.
I got a rubbish start and had a couple of silly crashes due to over excitement and fatigue on the top rocky section. Ended up taking it steady, soaking up the atmos and being polite and cheery to everyone who I passed and was passed by 1hr 17min. Collared for an interview at the finish which was nice and completed the epic feeling!
Great event, amazing weather and good craic with mates and other riders, well chuffed for first Mega and the whole trip was a 40th present from a couple of good buddies!