Cheers for those vids IA – looks like great fun.

Seems a bit weird the way everyone gets off and walks on the techy sections – maybe they are harder than they look in the video?

I think IA got the shitty end of the stick having to start at the back of the grid, there are a lot of people who are just bimbling, whereas the fast guys at the front will be riding all of it. They also added in another section just before the qualifier which was techy as you like and had pretty much everyone off and pushing.

The problem with the techy sections is they’re a bottle neck – if one person stops, the person right behind has to…. and so on. Once a few folk are stopped/off it just becomes a queue. They are harder than they look, but I could still ride them fine, was frustrating to have to walk them.

My top tip would be not to do what I did and tried to force thru the middle at the start, but hang back a touch, let gaps open infront of you then power round the outside, plenty space, even though you think there won’t be.

its quicker to walk some techy bits than queue up to ride the few doable lines

i am gonna have a go at the Sprint course on my 7inch dh bike as the 1st year we entered the race with no idea what we were letting ourselves in for and our air sprung beefed up xc bikes were way out of their depth
but yeah it shows you what a real UCI DH course is like in the alps

I’d suggest getting some hand grips/power ball etc.

Arm pump will be horrendous but I have noticed a massive difference since using the grips in the car on the way to work.

I did it for the first time last year and will be there again this year.

wrt doing it on a hardtail, a few people do but do but I’m not sure I’d want to. A afternoon playing on the qualifer (on a HT with 6in bolt through forks!) may be fun but not 6 or so days of riding. If you’re out for the week then after a couple of days praticing the courses you’ll be pretty battered. I’d consider hiring, even if you don’t book anything just make you have enough money to get something for the race if you need to. Although there won’t be much available.

Can’t wait. Sooooo excited.

Nice Vid Ian,
You got a good run toward the end there.
Really makes me want to do it.
J.