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Alpe d'Huez Megavalanche 2018 preview
1700 riders tackle the slopes July 2nd to 8th
The Megavalanche is the biggest downhill event in the world for the international mountain biking community.
The Alpe d’Huez Megavalanche 2018 is going to be a mega year for the 1700 riders who are competing in this one of a kind event. For almost a week, the riders will thrash it out through the tens of thousands of metres of negative elevation on the slopes of the Grandes Rousses mountain range between the Sarenne glacier down to the village of Allemont in the valley.
The race conditions are optimal: thanks to exceptional snowfall on the slopes of the glacier, it will be 100% operational. For the qualifying heats which take place on Friday July 6th the course has been rethought to optimise thrills and enhance the chances of overtaking. The mass start on the slope is one of the main characteristics of the Megavalanche.
The preparations are going well for Enduro d’Oz-en-Oisans which will take place on Wednesday the 4th, and will be a good warm up for the weekend. The resort is completely connected with the Megavalanche route via the lift network. The Alpe d’Huez Megavalanche is always a great opportunity for leading brands to display their ranges.
One of the biggest online companies, Chain Reaction, along with the brand Nukeproof, will be offering Megavalanche riders the chance to test their range. The Vitus brand range will be there too, as will Suntour, which is among the biggest producers of bicycle components on the world market.
Riders can also have soles changed or repaired by Vibram, as these accessories are often well worn when mountain biking. Around 40 nations are represented, however the duel between the two nations with the most riders plays out between the UK and France.
There are four English favourites who head the list of hopeful winners on the 2018 podium: Liam Moynihan, Sam Dale, Josh Bryceland, and Nathan McComb who won the Enduro d’Oz in 2017. The opponents, include four talented French men led by the great marathon descent specialist Rémy Absalon, 12 time winner of the Megavalanche competition. Thomas Lapeyrie, recent champion of the France Enduro and winner of the Méga in the Réunion island in 2017, and Damien Oton, who also held the Enduro title, will battle it out for the lead.
All eyes will be watching the new young prodigy Youn Deniaud from the Monkey's Sauce team, who has just won the Andorra competition of the Maxiavalanche Europ Cup. Take note of some outsiders who could shake things up a bit, notably the outstanding Cédric Gracia, who is always able to astound, and will without doubt relax the atmosphere when everyone is stressed and quite literally on edge. Another athlete to keep an eye on is the Czech Premek Tejchman.
The ‘Monkey’s Sauce Challenge’ will reward the two most explosive riders who do a 'hole-shot' at the starting line of the Challengers and Amateurs events. The Enduro d’Oz will precede the official trial day on Thursday, the programme will continue with the qualifications day on Friday and Saturday’s races are dedicated to the E-Bike Series, Ladies, Challengers and Affinity. The week will finish on a high on Sunday with the Megavalanche followed by the Mega Amateurs. All riders are invited to end the day with a tasty barbecue.
