The Megavalanche Alpe d'Huez (France) is one of the most famous and challenging enduro races in Europe. Since 1995, it starts with a mass start (!) from the Pic Blanc Glacier - 3,300 meters above sea level - down to Allemont.
From June 27 to July 3, 2022, the 26th edition of the race took place. On a track of about 20 kilometers, participants had to navigate 2,600 meters of altitude difference on challenging terrain.
Our colleague Nico Becker, 27 years old, has always been an enthusiastic athlete and cyclist - that's how he found his way to us! For years, he has been hitting MTB trails with friends or solo. The Megavalanche 2022 was a real challenge and a special experience for him. He shares the details of this year's race and his personal experiences below:
Arrival & Preparation - the Practice Days
After almost a year of preparation and anticipation, the time had finally come: On Sunday, June 26, I arrived in Alpe d'Huez, part of a group of a dozen riders from Germany. On-site, you could stay in one of the many hotels or apartments. Alternatively, camping was an option too. For my first race, I opted for a comfortable apartment, even though some in my group were actually camping with their tents.
From Monday, the real preparation started! Practice Day is the name of this part of the race, and the name was the program: By registering for the Megavalanche, each participant receives a lift pass for the entire area, allowing them to explore all trails and prepare for the big race. This is essential to be able to handle the challenging track.
We also had the opportunity to ride the entire race track from the Pic Blanc Glacier to Allemont. The area in Alpe d'Huez is very diverse - the 12th stage of the Tour de France 2022 also passed through this area. The mountains are perfect for enduro riders: many rocky and steep sections, as well as many berms (banked turns). And of course, SNOW!
For me, the snow was undoubtedly the most exciting part of the track - I had no experience of riding a mountain bike on snow. Trying this challenge directly from a glacier steeply downhill would undoubtedly make it even more difficult!
So, I was nervous, that was for sure. But, above all, I and my group had a great time exploring and riding as many trails as possible during the week; of course, also the paths that were not on the race track.
Throughout the Megavalanche week, there were evening events with live music in the "Mega Village"; the award ceremonies were also celebrated there. This was always a great experience, as you could celebrate this event in a village with crazy mountain bikers from all over the world. The Megavalanche had riders from over 40 countries.
The First Test: The Qualification Race
On Friday, July 1, it got serious: the qualification races were on. These took place on a separate and slightly shorter track but were also done as a mass start. There were a total of 12 qualification races, each with up to over 100 riders starting simultaneously. The groups were divided into men, women, and e-bikers. The qualification track had many rocky and technical sections: very tight turns, blocked paths, and similar challenges. Here too, there were two sections with snow.
The qualification track was about one-third the length compared to the actual race. And even this track was very exhausting! Most riders took between 18 and 23 minutes - the elite, however, managed it in a neck-breaking 16 minutes! Unfortunately, there were already some falls here, which are unavoidable in mass starts and such technical trails.
For me personally, the qualification went very well. It was my very first race of this kind - so my main goal was to have fun and enjoy a nice race!
The mass start gave me some trouble right away - that's hard to practice in training when you rarely have more than a hundred riders randomly gathered at the same time. I lost some places right at the beginning because of it. But then I could find my way into the race and make up some places again. It has to be said, overtaking on a trail is really tricky, especially since the other riders had also trained and were, therefore, racing down with considerable speed.
In the end, I could finish the qualification in 37th place, which I was, of course, very proud of. I almost made it into the main race on Sunday with the pros. But as a newcomer, I was naturally better placed in the classification as a "Challenger," which I had earned.
The Actual Race - the MEGAVALANCHE
To allow more than 1200 riders to compete, the Megavalanche is divided into three "weight classes": the Mega International, where experienced riders and real professionals compete, then the Challenger, and finally, the Amateurs. In addition, there were separate races for e-bikers and women.
The Mega International, so to speak, the "main race," took place on Sunday. The amateurs started with a 30-minute delay behind the pros - and finally, the trail runners started. The rest, including me, started on Saturday.
Saturday morning came quickly - it was RACE DAY!
I had to be at the gondola at 7 am. Three transfers and some time later, almost 300 mountain bikers had arrived at the 3,300-meter-high glacier! Our race officially started at 9:30 - Due to the fact that all riders must be correctly positioned, the start was unfortunately delayed a bit. But we had arrived in time to watch the start of the e-bikers and then the start of the women. My excitement was slowly but steadily increasing.
When I stood on my starting position - I had made it into the third row - and around me, there were about 300 other riders: I admit, I was nervous - "Oh no, what am I doing here!" But of course, it was already too late...
However, the nervousness and tension disappeared as soon as the famous Megavalanche melody started, and the typical cry ALARMAAAAA sounded. From here on, it was in race mode. The start was, as in the qualification race, very chaotic. All riders tried to somehow overcome the snowy section. Personally, I just focused on staying on my bike and making progress - I mostly ignored the riders around me.
After the first few meters, things got better, and I could make up some places in the snow as well. When I had mastered the snowy section, the field had spread out a bit, and you could ride a bit more controlled. In the "normal" mountain bike sections without snow, I coped better, although the many uphill sections were very exhausting. During the race, I had fun dueling with other mountain bikers, and it must be said that everything always went very fairly, and everyone just wanted to finish the race well.
At this point, it must also be mentioned that the Megavalanche is not only tough for the rider but also for the bike. Of course, a 'downhill marathon' like the Megavalanche is heavily prone to breakdowns, and many could not continue for technical reasons or had to dismount to make repairs. Of course, I had space-saving bicycle mini-tools and tire repair kits, but I was very glad I didn't have to use them.
At about the halfway point of the track, I reached the most strenuous uphill section of the race. At this point, there were some fans, including some friends of mine who personally helped me a lot to master this section by cheering me on. From there, it slowly went into the forest and almost exclusively downhill. This was one of my favorite sections.
After one hour and 36 seconds, I finally arrived in Allemont and had reached the finish line. All riders were completely exhausted but extremely happy and celebrated accordingly! I had finished the race as 31st out of about 300 riders.
Looking Back
In conclusion, I must say that the week in Alpe d'Huez was truly incredible - the Megavalanche is a unique experience! Such a crazy race and a week with mountain bikers from around the world was really amazing!
I was also excited to see some of the pros "live in action": Kilian Bron, who could have celebrated his first victory on the Mega this year if he hadn't gotten a flat tire five minutes before the end! Other well-known names like Jack Reading, Ben Moore, Torben Drach, Sam Reynolds, as well as the now double winner of the Megavalanche 2021 and 2022, the Swiss Stefan Peter - and many more.
In any case, I have firmly decided to compete again in 2023 - maybe see you there? And: Anyone who still needs equipment & clothing for the trail will surely find it in our cycling world. Because you can really only ride a race like the Megavalanche if the equipment is right.
