Megavalanche a La Reunion

It is 8:15 am, some curious onlookers eye up far away, in the direction of Roche Plate, La Nouvelle, les Orangers. The trip in the top of MAIDO continues to attract the tourists, of sunday and the walkers. But at the beginning of this sunny morning, Mountain bikes invaded the place. At some metres of the belvedere, the riders of the Megavalanche take out the bikes of the trucks, then converge to the departure line. George EDWARDS soon delivers the last orders before the departure. He warns those who think to steal the departure. " We could not call back 150 riders easely, he explains. But those who cheat are liable to a penalty ".
The departure is indeed essential in these Marathon DH which is nevertheless near one hour lengh. Many things often are decided at this moment. We do not win it necessarily the race at this time… but we can certainly lose it, in case of delayed ignition.
All will indeed have to extricate themselves as quickly as possible from the mass juste after the departure and go away at top speed from sandy and bumpy tracks of the MAIDO, they will have to slalom with dexterity between brooms to avoid falling farther in corks, when the track will get narrow, and so to be able to run on the part of the track in balcony of the mountain.

"It’s gonna be hot" loose with an astonishing relaxation Julien ABSALON. The Olympic winner of Cross-country race has just lined up on the first line of the starting area. And by seeing the road narrowing in front of him, a few meters further, the best cross country man of the world wonders well where he will be able to pass with his bicycle. He laughs. Armand GERARD listens. The pilot of the ACPR has indeed the privilege to be installed at his side on the departure area. People from Reunion even give one or two advices on the track to the double champion of the world which has never participated in such events. It remains 20 minutes of patience and the horses will be released….
While waiting, environment is very relaxed. SICARD whistles, BAREL sitted on the side converse in “Creole” (local language) with the last people .Pascal YEN PON chose to stay on the shade and of speak with the favourites, Remy ABSALON, Franck PAROLIN, Alexandre BALAUD and Samuel PERIDY.

The helicopter, in approach, tears off scums of dust in the sky of MAFATE. This deafening arrival engages the countdown. In "five minutes" indicates with the fingers George EDWARDS to the hélicopter which took on board the cameramen.
Then "one minute", materializes the organizer, posted in front of the 150 furious. 5…4….3…2…1… the mountain is with them....
They left since ten meters. And oh surprised, it is our champion of France Juniors which precedes the kings of the speciality. Florent WOLTER left very fast. But he dis not have time to enjoy it. After hundred meters of race, the Cycling pilot slows down, then is passde by all the others. he is now obliged to put foot on the ground. quick look and it is the cold shower... "I broke my chain" will tell Florent who give a furious kick in this treacherous bicycle. But it is not the only one to make the expenses of the breakable slope. Samuel PERIDY, the journalist of VTT Mag, victorious of this Megavalanche in 2000, is also victim of mechanical breakage. For him, it is the shifting track, for George ATHERTON, 5th of the general classification of the last World cup, it is the chain "It is a pity for George, he was 6th with the TETE DURE" will say George EDWARDS. Another prestigious invited top rider also stay behind because of his shock aborber this time : Greg MINNAAR the South-African. he will finish 17th...
In the front, Remy ABSALON is in the group of head. he tells: "Franck PAROLIN was first on the top departure. He left in front and with BALAUD, we caught him. After PAROLIN fall and finaly, we were 3 in the front : Myself, Barel and Balaud. ".
These 3 make all the race at the head on the peak of the mountain and further : "one moment, it was one in front, thenit was another, says Remy. and, Rene WILDHABER came back as a fighter".
After that, Remy ABSALON and Rene WILDHABER will stay both together and will never be separated until the arrival "When he arrived, the rhythm accelerated suddenly, tells Remy. Fabien BAREL clings "As I was in second line, I produced a large acceleration at the beginning not to let itself lock up. And inevitably, I consumed "Watts" releases the double champion of the world of Dh before continuing to tell his race: "Alex, Remy, Rene, they are very strong guys. It goes very very fast.. I tried to benefit from the DH to take again time to them but I was made release in the rises "
Humility on behalf of a champion of the world which rubs only once or twice a year with this exercise of the DH Marathon, which is really a 3rd type, at the border between Cross-country races and the DH.
"Rene and Remy, they are truths specialists of this kind of races, they prepare especially for the event, says again Fabien, who appreciates this kind of race but who also see things clearly : “at one time, that becomes too physical for me. There is many to pedal. He laughs : with 2 large coasts in less and it would be very goof for me ".
It is in one of this rise that he takes down a first time. In a concreted way which goes up suddenly "There, they left very fast" says Fabien about Remy ABSALON and WILDHABER. Alex BALAUD for his part took down a long time ago. "We released Fabien on a physical area" says Remy. But BAREL is obstinate. At the school of parapente of BELLEMENE, he is only 20 meters behind the 2 first. To forty seconds pass then Thibault VASSAL, Julien ABSALON, eh yes! The Olympic champion is in the blow after having missed his departure: "I was a bit too relaxed, he says. I did not hear the calculation of the 15' ' then of the 5 ' '. So, when the rubber was up, I was surprised. I probably left in the neighbourhoods the 45ème-50ème". But in the first turn, Julien had already swallowed some between 15 and 20 "It is very strong physically. When doing the practice during the week, he put to me 45' ' in the main rise "will say his brother Remy on arrival.

End of the family story. In BELLEMENE, just behind Julien, we can find BALAUD, PAROLIN and YEN PON. The supporters of Bellemene tried to find the first réunionnais. Here he is "Pon Pon", the champion of Reunion, passes in 8th position in front of CLEMENTZ! It is then necessary still to wait a little to see emerging from sugar canes a group made up of Yoan VACHETTE, the Switzerland Florian GOLAY, Jacques DEVI and Alexandre SICARD, 2nd Réunionnais, 13th thus on the Scratch. He precedes Florent PAYET, Jérome PAYET and Nicolas LAU.
In front, René WILDHABER and Remy ABSALON go straight to the arrival to SAVANNAH - SAINT PAUL "On the final, I tried 1 or 2 times the interior. But he logically closed the door, says again Remy. As I saw we were wasting time with this game and that I heard the chain of Fabien on the stones just behind, not very far, I readjusted myself behind Rene ". Until in the last meters. The Switzerland René WILDHABER tells the last episode then: "All the final was played on Sprint. I was at the head, he was behind me.
Extremely logically, in this diagram there, it is always the one which is 2nd who is placed best. “Here it is, he was stronger than me with the sprint, there is no discussion on this point ". BAREL finishes 3rd at 8 small seconds. VASSAL is 4th with 1' 16 ' '. Then is with the turn of Pascal YEN PON to appear, one minute forty after, in front of the Olympic champion Julien ABSALON, who felt in the 3 last kilometers before the arrival, a part of the track very hard.


THEY SAID :


Julien ABSALON: It was the first time, my first experience in this type of race. And I must acknowledge that I really enjoyed myself. I took pleasure from the beginning to the end. After ½ hour of race, that becomes less sprint than endurance. We have heavy legs. Every time that there was flat parts, or pedalling parts, I benefitted to use my physical qualities. I passed more quickly than during the trainings. It was the 3rd time that I did the the track and obviously, It was more and more easy to me. I started to have the bicycle well in hand. Honnestly, I would like to come back next year. With more experience, a better knowledge of the track, a bicycle more adapted as today, I was limited, I can hope….

Rene WILDAHBER: With Remy Absalon and Fabien Barel, I knew what to wait. One should not anything release, quite simply. It is really very strong to ride with so good riders. It was as physical as last year.

Jerome PAYET: The most important on a race like that, it is to break nothing. On the departure, one should not calculate, it is necessary to go really as fast as possible, if not, you find yourself in the undergrowth, it is hot. I am happy because I found good trajectories and because I finish well after having done a very bad qualification race.

Pascal YEN PON: To finish 5th of this edition where the best world riders were present, it is not so badly. It's a pity that I lost a lot of time on the departure. I will come back next year with even more desire. For the moment, I am on holidays.

Franck PAROLIN: As envisaged, it was really very hot at the beginning. I made a departure of mad, I immediately could widen a consequent gap of 200 meters in advance. Unfortunatly, a branch of tree came to wedge myself in the handlebar, I passed in front of and my brake broke. Without front brake, I did what I could. But I became exhausted.

VASSAL Thibault: To finish 4th of Megavalanche, it is the same thing as a victory for me because the 3 tenors which are in front of me were untouchable. They are stars whereas me, I am not even professional. I finished the race as I could after having bored my shifting at half race