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Awesome stuff Ash. Kudos for being ballsy enough to take a year out.
Nice one Ash - biennial event for the future?
Is this an event achievable for a decent-ish amateur assuming the fitness is there? It's always been one that really appeals but the thought of getting left waaaay behind in a field that seems to be stacked with pros has always been a concern.
Friend who i ride with won amateur last year and came 8th overall. He is very quick. I'm up for it!
I'd suggest riding around sospel first. I've been out there a couple of times, and the riding is great, but **** racing some of the trails. Some of the trails have a lot of exposure, and big consequences of you make a mistake. I really enjoyed riding them, but racing, hmm, too much for me.
Pleased the race is back though, a couple of mates have raced it, and it's a good thing to have on the calendar.
It looks like the race is 16-21 June 2019.
Does anybody know how many non-pro/amateur spaces are usually available and how in demand they typically are?
Any news on application dates? I imagine that there will be a requirement to submit some kind of justification/experience level statement so would be good to understand what the requirements are so that if interested I can pull something together before the submission date.
Cheers
Great its back. I did it on my ti ibis in 2012 and just about finished. Two broken ribs and amazing head cold meant i couldnt do one day (the doc told me not to) but its a real adventure. I wasnt very fit. I was doing miles on the road and barely getting any offroad before hand and it showed but I made it. Take the right bike and train hard, set aside some of your life to do it.
yes i'm waiting for news on entry dates too. made a comment on a pinbike article about it recently, got no response. Cool story huh?!
Want to do it... would love a clue as to how and when to enter.
Will keep 'em peeled.
I am sure ash will post up entry dates and then be ready on your computer when entry opens and then go go go. I think they are typically over subscribed, so places are limited, no shock as they have to move the camp every night with all the riders stuff and all you have to do is ride!
So tell me more. Is it an amazing cycle journey/holiday where the fast people race each other and everyone else just rides...
Or is it s proper balls out thing for talented people only?
Would love to do it but and a complete punter
As above, complete punter but would love to give it a go
TP Timing and Food Station monkey here...
I think they are typically over subscribed
Yup. We're limited by what I tend to think of as the "log rule". ie how many happy campers the showers and toilets in the smallest campsite of the week can manage without turning into the Somme. (also because French plumbing...!).
There's also the small matter of a) shuttling riders around the place, b) shuttling camp. The logistics side of things is stunningly complicated and involves a fleet of vans getting dragged over some very high cols on very minor roads. Big up to Mrs TP, Melissa for making it all work (mostly) flawlessly.
So tell me more. Is it an amazing cycle journey/holiday where the fast people race each other and everyone else just rides…
Would love to do it but and a complete punter
Sort of. You need to be able to cover some very technical ground at a decent speed. The days are BIG - one, maybe 2 uplifts, up to 2000m of self propelled climbing (inc some serious hikeabike), 3000+ m of descending on natural singletrack, some of which is VERY balls out. Maybe riding for up to 12hrs. For 6 days back to back, whilst sleeping in a tent. It also gets pigging hot and humid as we go south, which can really screw some people up.
In UK terms I'd say you'd need to be pretty comfortable riding everything in the Tweed Valley or Lakes off-piste kinda stuff to not struggle technically. (excluding jumps)
The thing I've noticed over the years, and which I find really cool, is how over the first couple of days little clusters of riders from all over the world who've never met each other before form up and ride together and race together, and so even if you're not a "racer", you end up having a bit of competition with your riding partners. There's very few riders who aren't looking to push themselves as hard as they can.
One noticeable thing is that a good number of the "non-pro racers" actually do OK because they're more used to riding at 90% on blind trails, where the full on race heads will be trying to go 100% at which point its very easy to miss a corner or a junction and cost themselves a bunch of time. It's a week long race. It doesn't get won on the first day, but it can get lost!
If you genuinely are a "complete punter" maybe look at doing one of the tours? I did this as my 40th birthday present to myself, off the back of which is how I ended up working on it. A lot more relaxed and a bit more uplift. Same level of technical descending though. One trail was a mile of vert in a oner. Personally, it would also spoil a lot of the stages for me to "have" to race them, rather than just enjoy them.
Otherwise its an awesome event, and to me the spirit of biking. Love it. (which is why I keep signing up to work a week of brutal 16hr days!)
If you genuinely are a “complete punter”
Well it's so hard to know. It completely depends who I measure myself against. As punters go I'm ok, but I ain't no athlete.
I found stuff like kill bill and cacciatore at finale well intimidating the first run. And I walked stacks of pianarella. There's no way I would do them fast. But then the second time I really enjoyed the Kill Bill/cacciatore..
I'm a mid forties tubby IT manager who drives a desk in a bank all week.
But last year I did my first triple century road ride.
Did the west highland way in a day...... But it took me over 17 hours.
Can happily sit with the medium fast group on a club Sunday ride, but have never ridden 20 miles in an hour solo.
Happily did all the reds and enduro routes at tignes / Val d' last year, but then got totally shamed on the blacks at la Thuile....
Did the fred whitton and the etap du dales but took ages. Something silly like 11 hours or so.
Rarely get overtaken when out for a solo mtb ride, but then it's just a ride, not a race. As the saying goes... pin on a number.
Did mountain mayhem solo last year with no support, but binned in the heat and only managed 10 laps... pretty much 50th percentile I think.
Did the CYB Beast in 2:25. Faster than most punters but slower than anyone with talent.
So basically I'm good enough to know how crap I really am. Compared to people who enter races I'm shit. Compared to your average mtber I'm slightly less shit.
Like I say, I have no idea what the baseline is....
Any hints you can give me are most welcome.
There’s a couple of good downtime podcasts about the trans Provence. One with a guy who raced it and one with the organiser. Listening to them should give you an idea what’s required.
My take always from them were, be as fit as possible, know how to handle yourself in big mountain environments, be prepared to carry the bike for significant periods and be comfortable riding very technical trails blind.
I haven’t done it but going to apply for 2019 with the expectation to that I’ll need to train hard beforehand and it’ll be extremely tough no matter what.
If you need any extra volunteers for this event (you're probably inundated with offers) then I'd be more than happy to help out for a week or two. I can't ride to save my life but I can man feed stations/help with camp setup/pull pints etc.
I wish these were in school holidays 😔.
Oh hell yes, now if only I could actually get a place for once...tried 4 times, failed 4 times.
Hey up, thought i would pop my 2p worth in here. I got a place and finished the 2015 event. Looking back it was bloody emotional riding down those steps to the beach at Menton. I was finished in every way. I was so tired, my body did not want to ride another meter :-). I crossed the finish point with a couple of top lads i met from Sheffield. We were in different groups but as i set off before hand we met up at a stage start and finished it together. Its that kind of event like most are where you meet a lot of like minded people and really bond for a short while.
The riding is hard, you tend to find your own pace where you are trying really hard but remembering that it is blind and you need that awareness. Its gnarly. The climbing just feels relentless at times. But you are in a proper big mountain environment and the climbing / descending is part of that.
To talk a bit more of the camaraderie that an event like this brings. When we finished on the last day and were heading back to the campsite we met another bunch who were heading along to the beach front for a quick drink. What actually happened was about 30 of us ended up at this bar being bought drinks from Nico Lau. That man is an absolute gentleman. I am sure my misses would love him 😉 Most of the top pro riders are just sound blokes who are doing this for their own / sponsorship reasons etc. I didn't meet any who were up their own arse.
Now to the crux of the matter for me. Why do you want to do something like this?? Its a genuine question. My reasons were that at that time i was loving racing. I am not fast in any way but i just loved racing. I came way further back the rankings that i expected to be which initially was a pin prick to the ego. After giving it a bit of time and a bit of thought i think i missed the whole point to a certain degree. Yes i was reveling in the fact i was in a big mountain environment which i loved. I was meeting people who i was slightly in awe of and who turned out to be the most amazing down to earth people. But i couldn't see past the fact that for me it was a race. Now if i was to enter i would still charge as hard as i could but i would see it as more of an adventure. And an adventure id definitely is 🙂
Would i like to do it again? definitely. Not next year as i have other biking plans in the Pyrenees but maybe the year after if Ash decides to run it again and i can get a place. I think i would take so much more away from it a second time around.
If you have an itch to scratch then go for it. Its something i doubt you will ever forget!
Why do you want to do something like this??
Mainly because I think it will be fun. But also To See If I Can.
For my first 40 years I had this fear of trying stuff and kept well within my boundaries. Then I realised that some of it was in my head. There were various in a day challenges that I set myself which I knew I couldn't do
WHW
Solo 100 rock climbs
300 miles by bike
On sight f7a
Cuillin ridge solo.
Paddle proper Norway grade 4
Ski some graded winter climbs.
I surprised myself by managing them. So I want to push further, before I get old and decrepit.
Been wondering what to try next and this appeals as it looks shit loads harder than all the above.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2019703091420007&id=112534252136910
Latest post on Facebook, always watch the daily videos whrn it on, looks amazing
@ thegeneralist - sounds like you hardly qualify for "complete punter", at least in stamina & doggedness terms!
If you can learn to climb f7a, then you can easily learn to be good enough on a bike to deal with the tech, just a question of commiting to it and getting the miles in on appropriate terrain. Not ridden Finale, but I suspect it'll be not too dissimilar. Be comfortable on that kind of riding and you'll be reet.
There's a good few riders who do a tour first, then go back the next year to race. Good (albeit expensive) way to research the problem!
@mactheknife - who are you? I was timing in 2015, so we'd have met. Anyone who makes it to the beach deserves full respect. Nico I agree, is an absolute legend - its like he can see round corners!
@creg - get in touch with Ash. Whilst there's a core of masochists who keep returning to work on it, there's always a few gaps that need filling!
Hey Jon, i am from Dundee and stand out with a full sleeve tattoo. Not sure how else to describe myself. Handsome and debonair is just me being modest 🙂
November 12th . Live live live!
"the tenth and final edition..."
so who applied then?
I was until I saw the price!
Shame was very excited
Was expecting to pay a premium but that is beyond ridiculous
I did, fingers crossed.
I have, it's bloody expensive but something I've wanted to do for years.
Anyone want to buy a kidney? Hardly used
i hope i got in . if not it's trans julius i think!
Where does one apply?
if not it’s trans julius i think!
Had to google that. Except I read it as "Trans Julian" (I assumed it was in the Julian Alps, which to be fair, Trans Julius is). Trans Julian is a completely different thing 😮 Trans Julius looks good though, would love to go back to Slovenia.
haha I imagine trans julian also find the transition stages tough, just in a very different way.
How was Slovakia @thenorthwind?
trans Julius looks cool. Guessing entries not open yet?
@howsyourdad1 Haha! I found they got really offended when you call their country Slovakia 😉 Slovenia was great - no riding unfortunately - was there for a holiday with my girlfriend last year. It rained a lot (September) but I think we just got unlucky. Beautiful country, really varied, some good food, culture... just a nice place to spend time.
Trans julius looks good, how does it work with accommodation? Anyone done it? Cheers
damn. i didn't get in. But I'm in standby group 1, 25 people apparently...
damn. i didn’t get in. But I’m in standby group 1, 25 people apparently…
Apparently a lot of people have received an email saying they're in standby group 1. This is because transp's email account has been hacked and loads of people's data has been fully breached. The malware team said that as long as you don't access your email account for any reason over the next month then the problem should fix itself.
You're welcome.
Alex(standby group 2)
🙂
I'm actually concerned i may well get a place. Time to get training
Pants just seen this and completely missed it. Ridden Mont Blanc Enduro with Ben Jones and just been out in Nepal for 3 weeks riding. I like big hills on blind descents. Not to be for this, have fun if you got in.
Check your mail boxes group 1 reserves!