8-9 August sees the IXS European Downhill Cup hit Chatel.
250 of Europe’s best riders will be there competing. Will you be there to watch?
Other events happening locally this summer include:
17-18th Pass’Portes du Soleil
3-5 July Chatel Mountain Style Contest
13-14 July Avoriaz Roof’An Slopestyle
8-9 August Torgona Bike
12-13 September World Cup XC at Champery
Singletrack magazine has chosen flowmtb to host their 2009 readers holiday. Together, we are bringing back the Grinder week theme. You, their readers, get to spend a week in the Alps testing amazing new kit while riding incredible trails with our fully qualified guides. Spend a day on a magazine photoshoot and write reviews of the kit you’ve tested to go in the magazine.
Waiting for you will be a veritable treasure trove of hardware and software for you to try out. In return all Singletrack want is your opinion. This is your chance to write your own reviews for Singletrack.
We’ll put you up in ensuite rooms in Chalet la Musardiere in central Morzine. A generous breakfast is served every day, and cake left out, there’s a packed lunch on four days and a three course meal on six nights. One the other night we’ll have a Singletrack party in town.
Experienced mtb guides will take you out on four days (we’ll have two guided groups each day), therell be a photoshoot another day, and a further day free to ride where you wish. All the time testing new bikes and kit!
This is your chance to book yourself on a truly unique and exclusive mountain biking holiday in one of the world’s finest mountain biking resorts.
Details are going out in issue 47 that hits stores tomorrow. We have a sneak preview of the page: Singletrack Readers Week with flowmtb
Entries for this years Pass’Portes open on the 10th February. There will be a new look website launching then and lots of new goodies going in the packs this year. Get the date in your diary now to make sure you can get a Morzine departure. The Exhibition is at Morzine this year so not only can you ride this legendary event, but will have plenty of time to wander round the stands looking at shiny bike bits and sampling local food, before heading back to base for one of our amazing BBQs.
We still have a few places available in both chalets, but pass’portes weeks usually fill up fast so get moving if you want to be sure of getting to ride the event this year and stay in the flowmtb legendary mountain bike chalets.
Other events happening locally this summer include:
3-5 July Chatel Mountain Style Contest
13-14 July Avoriaz Roof’An Slopestyle
8-9 August IXS European downhill Cup at Chatel
8-9 August Torgona Bike
12-13 September World Cup XC at Champery
The renowned womens mtb courses, dirtdivas have launched their dates for 2009. Courses are held in Crowthorne Woods, Berkshire on April 5th, May 10th, June 7th, Aug 9th, Sept 6th, and Oct 4th 2009. Courses range from Back to Basics, to Singletrack Skills to Jumps and Drops, so whatever your skills level there’s a course for you.
Last year’s courses filled up fast so check them out now to make sure you dont miss out.
The perfect way to prepare for one of our dirtgirls weeks!
Last year we spent an afternoon watching some of the world’s best riders riding over the rooftops and some massive jumps in Avoriaz. The Roof’An is back again in 2009, on the 13-14 July. Come and have a mountain bike holiday in Morzine with the chance to watch amazing riders on a unique course.
Also check out:
27-18 June Pass’Portes du Soleil
3-5 July Chatel Mountain Style Contest
8-9 August IXS European downhill Cup at Chatel
8-9 August Torgona Bike
12-13 September World Cup XC at Champery
More info on all these events to be put up here soon.
We’re next running our amazing Morocco mtb holiday on the 2nd-10th May. With the only other trip running in 2010 on the 24 October-1st November, don’t take too long thinking about it!
This is the mountain bike tour of a lifetime. Natural singletrack on paths that almost never see bikers. Nights spent in gites off the beaten track (in villages not even marked on the map!), with real Moroccan home cooked food. Incredible riding that’ll blow you away. Landcruiser or Mule powered uplift. A couple of days in Marrakech to see the city and experience the bustle of the souks and amazing flavours of the night markets.
If you like your mountain bike holiday to include the chance to watch some mtb stars riding then there are some dates to look out for this summer.
3-5 July is the Chatel Mountain Style Contest. An international Freeride and Slopestyle Contest, you can watch some of the best riders in the world compete in the Chatel Bike Park, then come back to flowmtb HQ to swop stories over a slap up meal. Amateurs are able to compete too so if you fancy pitting yourself against some of the top riders get out here ready to go big. There’s a €6000 prize up for grabs! Find out more here.
Also check out:
27-18 June Pass’Portes du Soleil
13-14 July Avoriaz Roof’N Slopestyle
8-9 August IXS European downhill Cup at Chatel
8-9 August Torgona Bike
12-13 September World Cup XC at Champery
More info on all these events to be put up here soon.
You can now enter the Alpe d’Huez Megavalanche online at Active Europe. Get in fast before it fills up! More spaces are available this year, but not enough to allow everyone who wants to take part to do so! Click here to find more.
We also have a couple of rooms still available in our chalets. These usually fill up pretty quickly once entries are open so let us know soon if you’re going to join us for the mtb race of the year.
Scotland didn’t seem to realise we were heading over in the hope of escaping the snow! Arriving at Glentress early on Thursday morning we noticed a fair bit of snow around. A quick chat with our mate Andy, who’s one of the bike rangers there revealed there was a lot more snow higher up.
Undeterred we layered up and headed off. We decided to do the red route, stupidly thinking we’d easily fit in the blue after a bit of lunch. The snow made climbing very slow! As our wheels slipped on the icy patches and we slowly slowly churned through the thick snow we realised it was going to take a bit longer than expected! Despite the slow progress uphill it was a fantastic ride. The sun shone for us and the views were amazing. The descents were fairly slippy, especially higher up but we gradually got used to it and had loads of fun. I can’t wait to go back when it’s not covered in snow and see what’s revealed! The rangers and bike patrol do a great job of keeping the trails in top shape for riding, and with the cafe, bike wash and shop there’s everything you need on site. There’s even guiding and skills days available.
Back down we stuffed ourselves in the cafe - the food is incredible and staff really friendly. Luckily we had the excuse of meeting up with Andy so we could hang around a little longer for some more coffee and homemade cakes. With freshly washed bikes and full stomachs we headed back to edinburgh to meet up with family who arrived for Guy’s sister’s wedding this weekend.
Photos may take a little longer to get up than usual as we’re busy seeing family and have a wedding to go to!
Entries for the Alpe d’Huez Megavalanche are due to open next Monday and the Avalanche Cup have just updated their site with info on the new format.
This year all riders will do qualification runs on Friday. Then on Saturday the Ladies will race first, followed by the second fastest men (Mega Promo), then half of the Mega Affinity. On Sunday the fastest qualifying men lead off first, followed by the rest of the Mega Affinity group. This should speed up getting up the mountain for everyone taking part. It also means numbers are increasing from 1750 total to 1800 men and 200 women. The course is being reshaped and should be more focused on descent.
The Avalanche cup DH race will still take place on Tuesday and Wednesday and the on snow speed test on Thursday. On Sunday and Monday a new event, the MOM Avalanche is taking place - info should be going online about this soon.
Check out the best accommodation available for the race (ours of course!) here.. We have two chalets for this year’s race, both in Alpe d’Huez town, near where all the action is and the Grandes Rousses lift you need to take. We still have a few places left in each chalet, but don’t hang around long as we were full last year months before the event!
There’s more info about the race here.
