After day two’s monster outing – riders were in the saddle for up to twelve hours – there were some sore bodies and foggy heads on day three of Santa Cruz Stone King Rally Vol.1.
POV vid and pretty pics
Day 3: Prazzo to Demonte
- 35.9km length
- 1,590m ascent
- 3,170m descent
Thankfully, the day started with a monster shuttle that dropped riders atop yet another mind-blowing Alpine pass.
A relaxed start, but they’d soon have to coax themselves back into a groove. Ibex and marmots stuck to high ground in their droves as riders wound their way along old military trails as they headed towards their daily dose of serious descending.
Four more monster stages welcomed riders on the third day of racing, with yet another different feel from day two’s forest singletrack. Today’s route swung towards the high Alpine and some serious limestone gorges, taking in long and snaking ribbons of singletrack and freshly revamped sections of trail.
The day closed out with racers making their way down through small villages full of enthusiastic locals singing their favourite songs as riders passed through old fortresses built to guard the entrance to the historic Savoy region. Rarely has there been a better way to finish a day of bike riding.
Results after Day 3
What is the Stone King Rally?
Santa Cruz Stone King Rally 2022 takes in two countries (75%in Italy, 25% in France) from 28th June to 3rd July 2022.
Stone King crew: “The Santa Cruz Stone King Rally is the evolution of backcountry MTB enduro competition. Containing the same blend of wild adventure and gravity racing excitement that Trans-Provence introduced in 2009 and refined over the course of a decade, we now take things to new levels on a 100% original itinerary from the High Alps to the Mediterranean.
“Stone King’s truly transalpine itinerary – crossing the Alps’ central watershed not once but twice – will take in two countries and four distinct regional areas: the majestic Queyras Regional Park (France), the mystical Occitan Valleys of Piemonte (Italy), the wild Roya Valley (France) and, last but not least, the revered coastal mountains of Liguria (Italy).
“Each of these zones contains its own brand of mindblowing descents and incredible journey-style trails. The inextricable link between these trails, the cultural heritage and the agricultural or industrial history of each valley is critical to the spirit of a backcountry adventure like Stone King; riders will experience – in a variety of formats – a thread of associated stories throughout the race and tour versions of the itinerary.“
Guillestre to Bordighera
28th June to 3rd July 2022
Riders: 100
Days: 6
Timed Stages: 24
Distance (on-bike): 269km
Ascent (on-bike): 8140m
Descent (on-bike): 20153m
