what is the mega avalanche?

For those of you who don't know what the megavalanche is, let us tell you:

It's a mountain bike race that goes downhill (a lot). Not a downhill race. You don't have to be a downhiller to race, you don't even need to be that bothered about racing - it's all about taking part.

So what exactly is it again?

Well, it goes like this: (bear with me, it is a French race, and French people are a little bit mad...)

You start up at 3,300m on top of the Pic Blanc glacier above Alpe d'Huez. After 32km, you finish in the small town of Allemont, way down at 800m. Sounds easy right?

Well here's the catch - you start in waves of about 350 people at once - and you start ON a black ski run. Still covered in snow. The route then crosses a massive glacier (yep, riding on the ice) before taking you across the face of a mountain along some of the best singletrack you'll ever have ridden. All the while your fellow racers will be getting in your way, or trying to pass you. It is quite bonkers.

There's open fast grassy sections, tight twisty in the woods singletrack, some climbs (see, not a DH race!) and then more singletrack - it goes on what seems like forever. All the while all you can hear inside your (obligatory) full face helmet is your heart pounding, and lungs pumping, trying their best to keep your muscles supplied with oxygen.

The winners complete the course in 50minutes. Although a time twice that long is still good going.

You'll get to race against the likes of the Athertons (Gee, Dan and Rachel were all there last year), Nico Vouilloz (possibly the greatest mountain biker in the world - and 2006 winner) and Anne Caroline Chausson - the French womens world champ.

On top of all this, it's a week long celebration of mountain biking. There's a 'sprint' race earlier on in the week (a proper DH race), Then on the Saturday there's the small matter of qualifying on a slighly less crazy course, still a good 40-50 minutes of riding though - this simply gives you your starting position for the main event, there's no chance of not qualifying. And then on the Sunday it's the main event. Not to mention the film festivals, trade stands, and more awesome riding to be done in the area whilst not taking part in the scheduled events (a sneaky practice run is a very good idea).

Guy wrote about his 2006 experience over on our blog - check it out.

If you call yourself a mountain biker, you have to race this at least once in your life. It is mountain biking in the truest sence.