Damien Oton

2017 Megavalanche Alpe d’Huez Winner

1. Why do you like to come back almost every year in Alpe d’Huez for the Méga?

Simply because it’s the Mega, I love mass start races and it’s the longest in the world, so I have to be there.

2. On what kind of ground do you feel the more confortable? Where do you think you can make a difference?

I really like the technical parts after the glacier, it’s fast and you need to let go of the brakes, I think I’m performing on this part. And I’m not so bad in pedalling hahaha 😉

Everybody knows that the physical part is very important in the Mega, so I hope I will have good legs to go uphill as fast as possible.

3. What’s the funniest think you’ve seen on a Mega?

For my first Mega (2013 I think) I was in Remy Absalon’s qualifying wave and I followed him in second position and he fell down head first in a huge puddle of mud, it was so funny. But he won however lol

4. According to you, what is the most important think to win for the Méga ? 

Physical work, because it’s very long and the uphill in l’Alpe d’Huez is very difficult so if you’re not ready you’ll stay behind. And do some mass starts before the Mega, it helps also.

5. What is your secret technique to make a good start, avoiding traps on the snow ?

I don’t have any, you just need chance. I only went out the glacier once after 5 participations.

6. According to you, what’s the MEGA spirit?

Good stuff with friends and a good beer after the finish line.

7. What do you prefer during your stay in Alpe d’Huez ?

I love being there every year with my family, I ride in the morning and then I enjoy the swimming pool and other activities, the resort is  cool for that.

8. The first Maxiavalanche of the year in Vallnord is just over, are we going to see you in Cervinia at the end of july or in Ax in september ?

I won’t be in Cervinia, but probably in Ax.

Thomas Lapeyrie

2017 Megavalanche la Reunion winner – French enduro Champions

What is your motivation to come back every year or so on the Mega ?

The fear. This start on the glacier, where everything could happen, that scares us all hahaaaa it’s stupid but so good !!!!

What is the type of playground you are the most performing on ? Where could you make the difference on the Mega ?

I’m performing on polyvalent tracks, with technic, physic, involvement, speed and so on…

On a Mega the contest is everywhere, start, middle, end, you need to manage the mechanic, avoid falls, be in the right lines, everything matters !

What is the funniest thing you’ve ever seen on the Mega ?

Honestly it’s hard to say, a Mega is not funny, it’s just scaring hahahahaha

What are for you the essential elements to get ready for this anthology Race ?

You need to be in good physical conditions, it’s a huge race and you have to be ready to avoid suffering.

Mental is also important with the start’s pressure when you know you play your life and you have to manage your emotions.

Your bike has to be in top conditions, you can face a lot of mechanical problems, breakages, punctures are part of the game but it’s better to anticipate it.

What is your secret technique to make a good start, avoiding traps on the snow ?

Well, you have to pull out your elbows, no ? OMG 🙂

For you, the Spirit of the Mega is mostly…? 

Downright FUN ! good shares, a week of ride with friends, we meet in the afternoon to eat some pancakes and drink a beer, we ride together, long tracks, only pleasure and bonus on this Mega week.

Finally no need to stress, it’s just so ZEN :p

What do you prefer on your stay in l’Alpe d’Huez ?

Nutella pancakes on a café terrace under the sun with the friends at 5pm after a good riding day, what a life !

The first Maxiavalanche of the year in Vallnord is just over, are we going to see you in Cervinia at the end of july or in Ax in september ?

For the moment I never had the opportunity to race a Maxi and I really would like to. I’ll find the time…I like Vallnord but I could not participate this year so why not Ax in September, nothing is completely decided but I long to.

Rémy Absalon

12 times Megavalanche winner

1. What is your motivation to come back every year or so on the Mega ?

You can say every year, I don’t know, maybe the mix of all the feelings only the Mega gives : adrenaline, full speed on the glacier, physical and technical challenge, fear of the mass start…

What is the type of playground you are the most performing on ? Where could you make the difference on the Mega ?
I’m rather polyvalent, not the fastest in one playground but not the most bad nowhere. I think it’s the key to be faster downhill…With a little racing experience to finish…in one piece 😉

What is the funniest thing you’ve ever seen on the Mega ?
The funniest and the most frightening : a carnage start on the glacier when the snow conditions where not good and we went from stone to ice. Everybody was stacked but no hurt for nobody.

What are for you the essential elements to get ready for this anthology Race ?
Be ready on physical, technical and endurance sides. But don’t be under pressure, it’s a difficult and hazardous race so come what may !

What is your secret technique to make a good start, avoiding traps on the snow ?

I would say, be on the front side to avoid other pilots falls but not be the first : it allows you to see those in the front fall into the traps if the snow is not good (icy or soggy).

For you, the Spirit of the Mega is mostly…? 
To ride the biggest downhill in the world as fast as possible, having a lot of fun !

What do you prefer during your stay in l’Alpe d’Huez ?

All the week around it…rides with friends, it’s a mega ride week. And enjoy the resort in family.

The first Maxiavalanche of the year in Vallnord is just over, are we going to see you in Cervinia at the end of july or in Ax in september ?
I really try to put one on my calendar, it’s not easy this year but I try. Maybe Ax in September if I can delay my engagements, otherwise it will be in 2019 ! I’m really looking forward to coming back to a Maxi like Andorre.

A 30 years old adventure !

For its 30th birthday, the hardest MTB race of France is coming back to its originals tracks, from the Mercantour mountains to Nice beaches !

Since 1988, hundreds of riders meet every year to ride this famous event and get the “finisher” stickers. Known for the difficulty of its route, with really steep and technical dowhnill and uphills, the Transvesubienne is not one of the longest race in the world, but it is surely one of the hardest!

2018 route

TRANVESUBIENNE

For this 30th birthday, the Transv is coming back in the nicest, but also hardest riding spot of the French Riviera.

You will enjoy the first sea-view on the first Col des Deux Caïres, before to go throught the famous Brec d’Utelle, as hard to climb as to ride down, then pedal up to the Madonne d’Utelle, whith a crazy point of view, which may make you think you are almost at the finish line on the beach! But you will still have to cross the Vésubie river, keep up to Levens, and then the amazing Mont Chauve, with its stunning view on Nice during a long and rocky downhill, to finally ride in the Paillon riverbed and through its tunnel right to a well deserved beer on the beach finish line!

E-Bike Serie

90 km 3500 m D+ 5000 m D-

EBIKE riders will enjoy the extra loop in Levens to use the maximum of their battery capacity ! 3 batteries allowed for the E500 category, 2 for the E500 Plus. Rental available for 20€ here

They said it

An exclusive finish!

The 2018 Transvesubienne finish will also be historical, as it will use the riverbed of the Paillon to cross Nice, as it did in the 90’s (see video below). So this is a 100% off-road adventure that awaits you on this race! Get your headlamp ready, because you will be riding in complete darkness throught a 2km historical tunnel and go out directly on the sunny beach to get your Finisher stickers and a well deserved meal & drink!

1990 Transvésubienne

Unfortunately, we haven’t got the 1988 edition movie, but here is some images of the 3rd Transvésubienne, in 1990. If the bike and equipment aren’t the same, this will be almost the same track in 2018! In the movie you can perfectly see the final tunnel (which was lit at this time, but the rest is still the same!)

A Vintage category will reward the brave riders who will ride the race in may with a bike from the 90’s 😉

One bike for two at the top of the glacier !

 If in 2017 two riders from Loisibike completed the Megavalanche Reunion Island with an electric tandem (crossing the line without back seat post!), nobody has yet race the one in Alpe d’Huez!

After a few years our tandem riding skills had improve and it became obvious that we needed a more capable bike.  In the 2009 Single Speed World Championships Of New Zealand, one jump in particular would buck Rose so much that her feet would be ripped from the pedals and her bottom would be higher than her head. Very scary! But we couldn’t afford to buy a commercial full suspension tandem frame, so instead Jackson bought a welder, taught himself to weld, and got to work on a new frame.

We’re now on our third homebuilt tandem, progressing the bikes capability in line with our riding skills.  In 2010 there was Bruce, a 140mm XC/Trail bike.  In 2014 there was Trev, a 160/190mm convertible AM/Enduro bike, and in 2017 Derek, a 200mm dedicated DH bike.

We still love the teamwork and being able to ride together.  There are many couples who mountain bike together but few who can be as in-tune as we are.  We also really like being able to race without the pressure of having to beat anyone.  When we come near the back then everyone says “oh well, it’s amazing they could even do it on a tandem“.  And when we come closer to the front then people are still impressed.  Its a nice feeling.

We still ride a lot on our one-person bikes too, but when we race it is almost always on the tandem.

Have you already take part in the Mégavalanche (classic “one-person bike” 😉 )? 

We’ve never done “the” Mégavalanche before, but we have done similar “Mega” style races in New Zealand.  The most recent was the Cardrona Mega Avalanche in January 2018.

Why do you want to ride the Mega with a Tandem? 

The Mega is such an iconic even for mountain bikers.  I think it is probably the most famous mountain bike event in the world outside of the World Cups.  So obviously we want to race it.  So when we got the chance to be in France while the Mega was happening, it was an easy choice.

Who is front, who’s back? Why? 

Jackson is usually the Captain (at the front) and Rose is the stoker.  We sometimes switch around for riding on the road or easy trails, but for anything challenging it is much easier to have the heavier, taller, and stronger person at the front.  The stoker’s weight affects the way the bike moves a lot.  The stoker can steer a tandem from the back seat the same way you can steer your normal bike with no hands on the handlebars.  But this effect is much worse if the stoker is larger.  A good stoker, like Rose, can shift their weight to help the captain 95% of the time.  But because the stoker can’t see where they’re going, they can never get it 100% right.

Which are the hardest part in the trails when you ride a tandem? 

The big challenge for us is low-speed drops that catch the bottom bracket.  Because the front bottom bracket is closer to the front wheel than the back, it falls much more quickly than the bottom bracket on a normal bike.  That means if we can’t do a drop fast, then we can’t do it at all.  As long as we have speed the bottom bracket will fly over the obstacle, so it is only slow-speed sections that are the problem.  Often we can ride a whole DH track only to come unstuck on a little roller on an XC track that has a tight corner just before it, and isn’t steep enough to get speed again.

Everyone assumes that tight corners will be the hardest bit, but they are actually fine, especially when going downhill.  When we have speed we can skid the back wheel around to make the corner work.  As long as it is steep, we can get around any corner that you can ride on a normal bike with both wheels on the ground.  We lose a lot of speed in tight corners, but it is faster than getting off.

How are you going to deal with the Mass-Start and the Glacier? 

Compared to people on normal bikes, we usually lose out a little bit during the first few moments of a mass start race.  We can’t accelerate as fast at the very start, and then because we are so big we can’t fit into small gaps as we jostle with so many others.  But once things settle down a bit after the start then we are riding with others who are not as fast as we are, so we get to make a lot of passing moves.  Its great fun!

We might have some trouble with the glacier though.  We’ve never ridden the tandem on snow-over-ice before.  We seem to go well when conditions are very try and dusty, when it gets slippery on your normal bike.  But when it gets muddy then we start having problems on the tandemearlier than we would on our normal bikes.  But perhaps on the snow we will sink in further and it will work like a rudder?  We will see!

How do you feel about this challenge?

We are both really excited!  We’ve never raced our tandems outside of New Zealand before, so it will be great to take it to the world.  Before we come to the Mega we’re also visiting some people who ride a downhill tandem in Andorra.  It looks like they ride just like we do so it will be fantastic to swap stories and learn skills from each other.

Many thanks to UCC for allowing is to race.  It is wonderful when race organizers have an open mind and can see the fun that a tandem will bring.

© Jay French / Theperfectline / Derek Morrison / James Allan / Rose Green / Cyril  Charpin

Retour sur le parcours historique Transv

Pour sa trentième année d’existence, la Transvésubienne revient aux sources de sa légende, en reprenant son parcours historique des portes du Massif du Mercantour à la Baie des Anges, le 13 mai prochain.

Si cette épreuve hors-normes était l’apanage des pionniers du VTT, les progrès technologiques et l’évolution de la gestuelle de pilotage offrent désormais plus de réalisme à la performance, mais n’obèrent pas le défi personnel qu’elle représente.

Un nouveau classement et une boucle en plus pour les E-Bikes

Après trois décennies d’histoire, la Transvésubienne 2018 innovera encore avec notamment les nouvelles classes (E-Bike 500, E-Bike 500 plus) réservées aux VTT à assistance électrique, et un parcours spécifique pour cette famille de cycles.

Si le tracé reprend les fondamentaux depuis la Colmiane via le Col des deux Caïres, le Brec d’Utelle, la Madone, la traversée de la Vésubie, l’édition de cette année fera de la commune de Levens un pivot incontournable, avec sur les flancs du Férion un parcours qui offrira aux vélos électriques un secteur supplémentaire au programme de leur périple.

Transvésubienne EBIKE

La Colmiane – Nice

90 km
3500 m D+
5000 m D-