The riders made it through the final stage for a swim in the sea. We can only imagine how blissful that felt. Here’s the final round of story and images from the Trans Provence.

DAY 6 STATISTICS:

Start: Sospel
Finish: Menton
Distance: 65.28km
Ascent: 1230m
Descent: 2691m
No. of Special Stages: 4

Six days ago, a group of strangers would get dropped off at a campsite in Embrun, Hautes-Alpes, France. Six days and a not insignificant 269km later, a group of friends would finish Mavic Trans-Provence and dip themselves in the Mediterranean Sea.

While the heat would dissipate slightly, Day 6 started very humid and under a sizeable inversion that smothered the Col des Braus and the surrounding mountains. The final day of Mavic Trans-Provence 2017 would not be the longest or have the greatest elevation change, but it would come at the end of a long week and the longest day.

Sospel is infamous for its mountain biking and it would be here where riders would make the last journey from camp to shuttle to the summit of the Col des Bauns. A Mediterranean feel would be strong throughout, with singletrack proving tight, loose and with the classic switchbacks we’ve all become used to.

The final day would see speed high as ancient trails wound their way down the hill until the switchbacks threw the eternal problem into the mix as riders could smell the finish and the beer they had earned over the last week of timed trail exploration.

Day 6 would see Marco Osborne (Cannondale/WTB) rise to the occasion and snatch the win from François Bailly-Maître (Ibis Cycles Enduro Team). Day 6 would end with a single second between the two rivals. The front two would show their true class as third place finisher Olivier Giodanengo slip back to over two minutes in the overall standings.Time at Mavic Trans-Provence 2017, as with the previous editions of this unique race, becomes a very different constant. 19 seconds, the winning margin is just a number. Time at this race comes and goes with the wind, 19 seconds is both a moment and a lifetime.

Ines Thoma (Canyon Factory Enduro Team) was untouchable throughout the week and proved it by putting 35 seconds into second place Anka Martin (Juliana/SRAM), giving her a whopping six minute advantage in the general classification. Anka Martin (Juliana, SRAM) would keep Monika Buchi (Schmid Velosport, RC Graenichen) behind her to take the runner’s up spot behind a flying Ines Thoma.

A massive thanks from everyone at the Trans-Provence team for another year, thanks for checking in to catch the action through the week. Until next year!

PODIUMS AFTER DAY 6:

Pro Men
1. Marco Osborne (Cannondale/WTB) 2:34:39
2. François Bailly-Maître (Ibis Cycles Enduro Team) 2:34:58
3. Ludo May (BMC Ride Crew Team) 2:43:46
4. Jamie Nicoll (Santa Cruz Bicycles/Hope/Fox) 2:46:23
5. Max Schumann (Santa Cruz Bicycles) 2:47:39

Women
1. Ines Thoma (Canyon Factory Enduro Team) 3:06:14
2. Anka Martin (Juliana/SRAM) 3:12:02
3. Monika Büchi (Schmid Velosport/RC Graenichen) 3:12:51
4. Martha Gill (Marin/Stan’s NoTubes) 3:29:10
5. Emma Neale 3:32:35

Master (M40 Men)
1. Olivier Giordanengo (LAPIERRE/MAVIC/La Roue Libre) 2:37:39
2. Rene Wildhaber (Trek/Red Bull/IXS) 2:41:05
3. Antti Laiho (Suunto) 2:50:40
4. Shane Kroeger (Santa Cruz/Derailed) 3:00:07
5. Anthony Mayr (fusion-world.ch/trailworks.ch) 3:02:21

Amateur Men
1. Christoffer Brochs (Trek/USWE/Velorapide) 2:49:04
2. John Owen (Orange Bikes) 2:51:15
3. Rich Norgate (Magic Rock Racing/Orange) 2:51:39
4. Seb Kemp (Santa Cruz Bicycles) 2:52:51
5. Sebastian Beilmann (MTB-News.de) 3:01:47

Day 6 results here.

Overall classification here. Perhaps proving that beer is good for you, our man Stu Taylor for Kirby Lonsdale Brewery finished in a very respectable 37th place.

And here’s one last video for you – will you be signing up for next year? We’re certainly tempted.

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