Two Ride

The Megavalanche (pronounced Meg Avalanche) is a Downhill Marathon race created by French ex-motocrosser George Edwards in the mid 90’s. It’s organised by the French UCC who run many bike races in Europe.

The first race saw hundreds of French riders arriving at Alpe d’Huez in the Oisans region of France to race from 3330m on the Pic Blanc glacier to Allemont on the valley floor at 720m. Covering some 30 kms and dropping over 2600m, you encounter every different type of terrain from snow and ice, to rocks and mud.

The race gained popularity and by 2001 over one thousand people from around the world were trying to enter. Only 700 could race from the top (although that many never made the start) so a qualifying race on the Saturday was added to weed out some and allow the faster riders to qualify and start near the front. If you don’t start near the front you cannot win the race.

The qualifying race in itself is a mini mega. It runs from the top of Dome des Petites Rousses (2800m). Waves of 200 riders take off into the rocks and sometimes snow and head down toward Alpe d’Huez, never arriving though as the track goes abruptly up a road and then starts to drop seriously through many, many, dusty switchbacks on its way to Oz en Oisans (1350m). The twist in the tail is the firetrack climb just before the end when you can either overtake a lot of people (fit cross country types) or lose a lot of places (fit 170mm bike riders with a single ring).

In 1998 bad weather caused the Sunday race to start lower and in the last couple of years the snow has disappeared from the top, some is left lower down. Whether this is due to global warming, the use of snow cannons and their chemicals or something else is debatable. You are now more likely to ride down a rock field as a piste. This is a shame as the start as always been one of the focal points of the race.

If you are lucky enough to make the Sunday race you can expect to get up early. The top riders hit the lifts at 6 or 7am and get to stand in the freezing cold at 3300m until 9am.

Helicopters buzz over heard and music blasts out until eventually the pack are released in waves. Surviving the first 3 kms of snow (or rocks) is often the hardest part. So many riders fall on the steep slopes. Without the correct technique it can be difficult to stay on.

There are many different techniques for riding on snow, from hanging right off the back, sitting on the frame with both legs out outrigger style, one leg out, one on the pedal, running alongside the bike, sitting on your ass and sliding with the bike on your lap. The best just go fast as you can lose a lot of time on the snow if you don't get it together.

Next up is the rock infested singletrack were riders fight to overtake. You often have to pick your bike up and hike over parts to continue. Then a hikers trails that wants to destroy your pedals, cranks and feet with its rocks. There is even a grassy grinder and some muddy streams to cross. By this point you are covered in snow and mud, tired and sweating. This is nearly half way. A brief respite as you pass the start of the DMC lift at Alpe d’Huez, crowds cheer and you can stop for a drink or just plow on.

Onto the chemin panoramique, but no time for looking as its another singletrack on the edge. Soon there are switchbacks, hot and dusty and another grassy climb and then a road ride uphill to Villard Reculas. Now you are really hot and wish you hadn’t worn all that gear to counter the cold at the top. Then you hit the Foret de Sardonne.

The forest singletrack is muddy and there are a few short steep climbs that sap the rest of your strength. Then more switchbacks that go on forever, a whole normal downhill course of them.

Cross some roads that the Gendarmes have blocked off, its feels like the end but its more forest. Suddenly you cross a pedestrian bridge and there are people. Pedal for the finish and cross the line at Allemont.

The Megavalanche is the toughest downhill race in the world and will take you over an hour to complete. This is not a normal downhill race and doesn’t require a downhill bike, although many choose to ride one, no one has ever won on one. There are a couple of climbs and some road work. The switchbacks are many and tight.

Rene Wildhaber (Swiss) has won the race 4 times and is the most winning rider. The other winners have been French and on 130-152mm travel bikes with single crown forks and at least two rings. Wildhaber has also won many similar races in Switzerland.

The Megavalanche in Alpe d’Huez is a one off event although the UCC also run a Megavalanche on Reunion Island, which is on a volcano in the Indian Ocean. Its quite different in many ways. In 2005 a Megavalanche was run in Peru in the Valley of the Incas in conjunction with the UCC.

Elsewhere in Europe there are other non UCC downhill marathons. The ‘Bike Attack’ (was Red Bull Bike Attack) runs in Lenzerheide, Switzerland and the ‘Mountain of Hell’ is at Les Deux Alpes, France.

There used to be Megavalanche at Saas Fee, Switzerland but this is now a shorter snow race called the Glacier Bike.

Shorter races of about 15 minutes called Maxi Avalanche are now also run throughout Europe by the UCC.

More photos on Flickr

1998 Megavalanche Movie [4.8Mb]

2000 Megavalanche Movie [27.2Mb]

Megavalanche iPod movie [23.9Mb]

Movies require Quicktime

• Avalanche Cup - Megavalanche races are run by the UCC. You can apply online here.
• Alpe d’Huez - Tourist site
• Bike Oisans - Area site
• Peru Megavalanche - The race at the Valley of the Incas