Ok I know it is long, hilys and long but what is the riding actually like ?
Is it jeep track, Tarmac or beautiful singletrack ? ie is it worth doing ?

Mostly jeep tracks and hardly anything technically challenging, except dodging the thousands of people dragging their brakes down every possible decline 🙂 I thought it was a massive let down especially since it rained and they cut the last 20km which caused utter chaos.

Mostly long fire road climbs, some singletrack and not that much that you would call overly technical.
Amazing race though, the atmosphere is incredible and the route is a classic.

the bit right near the end is quite tricky and comes after a horrid walk up a scree slope at god-knows-what altitude.
apart from that the riding isn’t technical but it is high up, the climbs go on for a long time and you’ll have to train hard to make it through the cut-offs.

brilliant race. I loved it.

Dull trails, best suited to those only interested in demonstrating fitness and stoicism. Sack the notion of racing and instead book a week with http://www.bikeverbier.com – by far the most enjoyable and rewarding use of time spent in the Verbier region IMO. Incredible riding, amazing holidays, and still the chance to punish yourself racing up big climbs if that’s what really floats your boat.

great fun, worth doing. amazing scenery, well organised (usually)

Mix of fireroad, singletrack, gravel road, tarmac, singletrack. one hike a bike section.

So fantastic atmosphere but not the most technical riding ?

Any other suggestions for a slightly more technical ride then in a single day ?

It’s certainly not technical for most of the race, but the climbs are amazing (you really need to like climbs though!)

I was gutted that they shut the last section this year. Back next year for sure.

Not ridden Transvesubienne, but that might be worth a look for you?

Not wishing to labour a point but have a word with http://www.bikeverbier.com perhaps? These folk have done the race and know the whole Verbier region like the back of their hands. Most years they have guests doing the race, but often those guests miss out on the best riding because they’re either conserving energy in the run-up or too exhausted post-race. The technical and not-so-technical singletrack out there is world-class if you know where to look and have the transport and know-how to reach it (and BV certainly do).

Sounds like the OP wants to go and race though, not have a holiday…

😉

Wl, unfortunately I only have a weekend to go the alps, and fancy a ‘race’ as I am better at training for one than a blast .

I shall have a look at Transvesubienne but not sure I have the descending skills, he ho

some other races, not sure of technicality though, Roc d’azur, Salzgammergut. Have a look at Christophe Sausers home page, he has a list of endurance races he has done over the last couple of years. It might give some ideas.

but often those guests miss out on the best riding

rather depends on what your idea of “best” is though doesn’t it.

I rode with altitude adventures in the Pyrenees a few weeks ago and am completely sold on the idea of getting guides now as we would never have found the trails without them, but I really like the event side of things, I have done a few on road such as the etape and marmotte but am looking for something off road.

Still very tempted with the grand raid, I just need to persuade a mate who wants more singletrack

I’ve done Transvesubienne – its got some fairly full on descents, and full on hike-a-bike sections, glad to have ticked it off probably not in a rush to go back unless I thought I could get there a fair bit fitter than this year.

The impression I’ve always had of Christalp is that its basically a long fireroad route and I’m not that fussed about going all that way for that.

Tempted by this because the dolomites are stunning but not sure if it is any more technical than Christalp.

http://www.dolomiti-superbike.info/index.php?id=6&L=2

Yep – just that most of the riders I’ve met who venture to Verbier end up being far more impressed by its legendary technical singletrack than racing on its fire roads, and that includes Christalp riders.

Love the Cristalpl a pretty amazing event, its does have fire road climbs, but it also has a few nice bits of singletrack here and there, some big fire road descents, the last section after the reservoir is technical and catches a lot of people out, the gravel fire road to the finish also catches people (seen the helicopter winching rider off)

But its more about the whole atmosphere, its just epic, who gives a frig of its technical or not, its just a brilliant big event that will push you to your limit. The massive hike a bike lined with people with bells and horns and cheering is just brilliant.

I like to do it as part of a week or two week break to give myself a chance to get used to the riding and the height.
lots of brits there, but next on the list is the mega and the rtansvesubienne. Once you have done it you will ask yourself why cant we have events like it in the UK.

TransVesubienne is probably the ultimate technical one-day event. It’s proper full on in every way. Didn’t take to it that much myself but glad to tick it off like gary says.

There are other marathons in Switzerland that are supposed to be more technical/have more signeltrack. One is the week after GRC and further east.

Roc d’Azur (Southern France) gets good feedback as does the Selle Ronda Hero (Italy).

Once you have done it you will ask yourself why cant we have events like it in the UK.

I’m guessing it’s to do with the slight lack of Alps… 😀
I really enjoyed doing it but it broke me. 72 miles and some altitude takes a bit of doing.

I wasnt meaning the alps, I meant the support, the crowds and the organisation. 🙂

Done the Grand Raid, fantastic scenery but the course is very dull. Trans Versubienne is fantastic.