There’s a very good reason most downhill mountain bike races send out riders one at a time. Mountain biking is dangerous, sending a bunch of people hurtling down a mountain, competing for the leading position while on bikes is even more dangerous. But the participants of the Megavalanche Alpe d’Huez don’t really mind the risk.
A 2,600 meter downhill mass start mountain bike race like no other, videos of the Megavalanche capture the attention of the world, year after year. Last year, Brendan Fairclough and Andrew Neethling took on the legendary race, fighting their way through mass start. This is wild.
“Having not raced for a couple of years, Brendan Fairclough & Andrew Neethling were after some start line butterflies. Where better to stir up some emotions than the notorious Alpe d’Huez Megavalanche. So … how did the boys fare?“
Brendan Fairclough ended up taking 130th place in the overall after a fairly unlucky ride, while Neethling wound up in a very respectable 33rd place overall and 1st place for the men’s 40 age group. Place doesn’t always matter as much as having fun though, and it seems like they had a blast.
About Megavalanche:
Since 1995, thousands of riders from all over the world have been coming to Alpe d’Huez for a unique race: the Megavalanche! Starting with a Mass Start at 3,330 meters high on the “Pic Blanc” glacier and its finish line in Allemond, 2600 meters further down, make this DH Marathon the longest and craziest race in the world.
Related: European Ski Instructor Conquers Tunnel Run at Alpe d’Huez
