Start of the one of the qualifier heats [img] 
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Tricky section on the qualifier course
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Bit lower down on the qualifier course
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Just after the climb on the qualifier course
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Top of Pic Blanc
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Fun on the snow
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Obligatory bikes on balcony shot
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Few more here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/18244158@N00/
Really enjoyed it though I didn't do too well - came 134th out of around 200 in my qualifier. Was doing quite well until about mid-way down when the arm pump started to kick in really badly and I had a couple of offs and got passed by loads of people.
Was then in the Affinity 1 but still managed to get clattered on the snow near the top. Had another nasty off and did the rest pretty carefully, ended up in 414th or something in the Affinity, but I was just glad to finish really in the end.
Didn't find the technical level too bad, apart from a few difficult sections which took me a bit to get my head around, but it was more the physical and mental challenge of constantly rough, steep, loose trails, sometimes narrow with reasonable drops to the side. Trying to go flat out for an hour or two on this kind of trail was really hard for me.
I would def do it again, think some slightly longer forks than my Pikes would be ideal, though my Pitch handled it all fine really.
Just behind us in the Affinity then (410 & 411). Ace week and really looking forward to next year. Saving starts in August!
Just behind us in the Affinity then
Curses! 😉
Would like to do it again next year, not sure if the missus will be too happy though.
Mine are [url= http://jonedwards.fotopic.net/c1725444_1.html ]here[/url]
Had a good week. Really enjoyed the Sprint - first DH race and did alright ona relatively small bike (although screwed the pooch on my second run) P!ssed to get taken out in my quali and end up with a broken bike - had a lot of fun pumping the rest of the way though, ending up 134th after some very sketchy passes. Ended up finishing 9th in Affinity, which I'm fairly happy with, but it ain't *racing* the Mega is it?
You've seen the [url= http://www.photobreton.com/c/227/p/2ff5df55a87776c54617f0697c30ac31/www-photobreton-com-photo-Alpe-d-Huez-course-marmotte-velo-les-21-lacets-mega-avalanche-moto.html ]Photobreton[/url] site?
Nice pics Grumm
Do you know if the qualifier changed from last year? Looks a bit different
Yeah I didn't do it last year but apparently they built a load of new berms, jumps and wooden ramps - though I think it followed pretty much the same route. Finished in Oz instead of lower down as well.
Nice pictures.
A couple of my friends who did it called in yesterday on their way home to drop my bike off and were telling me about it. Sounds like it's pretty hard-going if you;re trying to be quick!
Maybe next year.
Qualifier did change.
After the climb and the flat out singletrack traverse, once you hit the woods you went right instead of left and down a pretty steep set of hairpins, across a very welsh trailcentre-esque traverse, then onto some loose drifty berms through the woods (absolutely beautiful on Monday, slightly shagged and very dusty by Friday), before dropping onto the no. 8 trail down to Oz
brilliant.
yep course was different
those tricky bits in grumms photo hat me otb and bouncing down the mountainside on my 1st day, still sore
was generally amazing fun came 225 in affinity 1
the mega was hard work, the qualifier more enjoyable coz there was less pedaling
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ill upload my own pics later
fun on the snow
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singletrack to oz en oisans
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qualifier
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same qualifier moto grumm shot
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hmm second pick down looks surprisingly like me, I was 183rd in the affinity races (both of them), Chris yours will be the place out of both races (i.e. 800 people).
I worked out on time that I was in position 850 for the entire race. Quite chuffed with that.
Just wondering if I could get an additional week off to do the mega next year too and go to verbier......... hmm, if not 2011.
Ahhh, awesome stuff. Was there last yr but couldn't make this year due to arrival of the little 'un.
Glad u had a blast, that's what it's all about. The new qualifier bits sound cool.
I'm already planning my strategy (to get Mrs V to let me go!) for next year.... 😀
Finishing the qualifier in Oz sounds like a winner. The buses (or cycle back up) were an almighty faff!
Glad you all enjoyed it. It really is one of the 'must do' bike events
I'll post some pics and video when I have sorted through it all.
I managed to commentate the whole Mega run only to get to the bottom and find the camera wasn't running. Dooh!
We did get some good footage of the Sprint and Oz runs though.
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Perfect Mega bike
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I got a crap number for entering the week before the race (long story) so had to overtake 110 people to make the promo; I only overtook 105 so ended up in the affinity.
We did a few days with the most awesome Trail Addiction before the mega...
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that top bit of singletrack on the qulaifier was some of the best singletrack i have ever ridden...
thats me in bottom qualifier shot...green jersey, orange cove g-spot with green bars...unfortunatly my tst was broken and i only had 2-3 inches of front wheel travel...halfway down i was up for quitting but i pushed on when it smoothened out...and then just before the wooded section thier was an almight crack and the tst system snapped giving me back full travel and i pounded it thru the woods and came in 55th position wich i was more than happy with
Nice pics flamejob.
Nice one flamejob.
Here's a couple more from the photobreton site - shame they are so expensive to buy.
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hoping to tick this box in 2010 saving and training started 🙂
here is the start of the mega...........[img] 
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and just before we headed of down the affinity
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I bought those two from PhotoBreton
I figure it is worth it if some poor sod has to stand on a glacier for hours taking snaps of loons sliding down snow. I wonder what the uptake is?
That'll be my last mega. My bottom photo was taken by Alistair at Trail Addiction; I would rather spend a full week in luxury with Trail Addiction than a long weekend of race pace.
BTW Some of our crew were talking to Ollie (the course planner) who said that the Quali didn't finish in Bessay because the 'Mayor' withdrew permission a couple of days before the event so they had to carve that new trail through the woods and join up with the trail to Oz.
He also said that next year the Mega course will be completely different and will take a more direct line down, including a road gap with chicken run.
This was my third Mega.
A lot of fun as usual. Spent the week before in Morzine, and most of the week of the Mega riding in Les Duex Alps and other trails, rather than just practicing for the race.
Was in the fourth quali heat, got a good start and was about 15th or so going into the DH section at the gondola station. But I had to stop and inflate my tyre after it popped off the rim for a sec and lost most of it's air (I knew they were too soft!). That cost me a minute or so and what felt like half the field passed me. Then I crashed towards the end of the DH section trying to pass some pansy that was keeping every body back. Passed a few on the last section and came 39th and got in to the Mega.
Started the mega on the third row from the back behind Glyn O'Brien (he punctured as well in his heat). The start was awful. SO off camber, couldn't get any momentum up at all. I just took the race real easy. Fannied down the glacier and only came off once, but pace was well slow.
But I passed the dude in the cow suit on the first bit of singletrack. Chuffed 😉
Towards the end of the race I lost loads of places as I was so tired I had to stop. I really didn't like the "new" course. The bit around Alpe D'Huez was a disaster. So flat and boring. Rather have the climb back in.
All that meant I came 221st in the Mega with a time of 1h 18mins. I was aiming for 150th or better. Ah well, it was fun.
Roll on next year 🙂