Maxiavalanche 2011 Andorra: the build-up

Date of ride: June 9th to 12th, 2011; Bike used: Commencal Supreme; No. of persons: Multiple; Weather: Cloudy with rain, drying out with sun on last two days; Ground conditions: Muddy, drying out after rain stopped

I’m not sure when the Maxiavalanche began for me. Perhaps it was when I booked my place and plane ticket last year, and the anticipation began. I’d never ridden a race like this before but had heard so much about it, sitting in the van of a friend who was talented enough to podium at one last year. Phil Varley has been riding these types of events for the last three or four years and this year he’s jacked the job and living the dream with his Kiwi girlfriend Kat out the back of a van for the summer, hitting up spots around Europe and racing the Avalanche Cup before heading to New Zealand. He’d told me about the mass start with 200 riders battling for position, complete with elbow and shoulder barges, whilst trying to ride around fallen bodies and bikes. He’d told me about the cracking downhill sections in classic European resorts, and the length of time you have on the bike. He told me about the pain. The pain of having to compete for 30 minutes up to an hour, the pain from arm pump. The pain from crashing. I knew I’d have to earn this one. I started going to the gym and doing spinning classes. I upped my XC rides in Kent so I was training pretty much everyday. I did DH races in England where I could, alongside trail rides in Dorking. Anything to get me race fit. Preparation was the key.

Bike choice was too. The ideal bike would have been my 160mm Specialized Pitch I’d had a couple of years back, but that was long gone. I had to choose between my 140mm Orange Five more suitable to UK trails or my heavy-hitting 180mm Commencal. It would be a compromise on both. Take the Five and be good on the flat or uphill sections but risk struggling on the Pyrenean descents. Or take the Commencal and love the descents but struggle on the uphills. In the end, I opted for the Commencal Supreme, mainly because the Commencal HQ was located in the next village from where we were staying and I wanted to take the bike back to its roots. A sucker for sentimentality, I know. All I did was swap my normal seatpost for an adjustable one so I could raise and lower my seat according to the gradient of the terrain, using a remote lever mounted to my handle bar. Seat down low for the downs so I could get back over the rear wheel, or up high for the ups as pedalling is easier sitting down.

Before I knew it the bike was packed, my kit was bagged up and we’re winging it over the French countryside aboard an easyJet, then cramming six lads with kit and bikes into a brand new Renault Traffic, and winding our way up the Andorran mountains, trying not to get car-sick and eventually arriving at our destination of La Massana at the dead of night. Apartment found, beds secured and sleep.

We awoke to a drizzly start to the day. It was cold, damp and the lifts up the mountain were closed. We took our time assembling the bikes out of the bags, before heading into La Massana for a scout about, and heading up to a carpark on the outskirts of town where the Maxiavalanche track would finish. There we found Phil and Kat, chilling in their old LDV van converted into a campervan, still getting their bikes assembled, even though they’d been there a few days already. Slackers. Phil took us through his new steed for the series; a 160mm Bionicon Alva with adjustable geometry to make it more suitable for pedally or downhill sections. Big question: was it pink or purple? Let the video decide.

No lift up the mountain was a slight issue. But where there’s a man with van there’s a way. Flagging down an lovely English VW Transporter with trailer we were soon winding our way up the Pal mountain to the Vallnord Bike Park with Martin from Singletrack Safari, normally accessed by the Telecabina gondola, and the start of the third and final section of the maxiavalanche track. The rest of the mountain was closed as this access was only by chairlift, not open until the next day. We practiced some of the track for the rest of the day, eventually comandeering our new Renault for shuttle runs.

Martin from Singletrack Safari helped us with a lift

The track here was on a fairly flat section, punctuated with technical root and rock sections, some of which went slightly uphill and required some standing and power to clear. As the gradient of the track steepened downhill, it became a wild ride over roots and rock, with some sections requiring a slight pop to clear exposed roots and other trail debris. The last section of the track consisted of fast wide-open berms, rough as Hell, with little drops and loose shale, and then tight, steep and technical, freshly-cut sections,  the unearthed dirt loose and loamy and requiring skill to negotiate.

Practice on one of the chutes on Maxiavalanche track, Andorra

The eight of us practiced this section for the remainder of the day, chilling for the most part, stopping every so often and getting a feel for riding on big mountains again. Some had new bikes and focussed on suspension set-up.

We had a great evening meal at a Catalan restaurant-hotel, on the outskirts of La Massana heading to l’Ordino on the CG3. Great meat dishes, a shoulder of lamb that I was unable to eat the whole of (unheard of for me!) and very friendly staff, well recommended, shame I can’t remember the name of the place! They showed us how to eat an amazing starter: Pan Tumaca: hot toast, with garlic then tomato rubbed into it, topped off with olive oil and salt. Rocking.

Next day, friday, and we all trooped into town slightly hungover to sign on. We all handed over our doctor’s notes to say we were fit to race, handed over €20 each for the timing transponders, got given our race number plates in return and set off to the gondola for first practice run from the top.

Maxiavalanche race plate

We battled through drizzly and overcast weather right to the top to get some practice in on the entire track. Took the gondola, then a little DH section called Carbonera down to chairlift one. At the top of chairlift one, awesome little, tight but super-flowing DH trail with little ladder stepdowns and jumps to chairlift two which would take us to the top of the track, right at the top of Pic de Coubil perched at 2,500 meters above sea level. This top section, the start, was awesome. Some tight chicanes between orange catch-netting and then it was flat-out big mountain riding across the meadow at the top of the hill, rocks and gorse bushes littering the way. Soon the track met one of the bike park routes, complete with berms and jumps, off the brakes through high-speed sections. I’m always amazed how quickly you can ride on big mountains. I ride faster on this terrain than in the UK, the gradient is so steep and the tracks always so well built that you can pin it instantly. The rain didn’t seem to matter to the condition of the track also. Roots and wet shale didn’t seem too slippery and I maintained good grip throughout the day, even in the dark and deadly wooded sections towards the bottom.

On the last section George the organiser had just cut a new section, straight down a clearing for electricity pylons, where the forest had been felled in a straight line from top to bottom of the mountain, roughly 20 metres wide. The track was cut so the riders must negotiate this steep chute for around 80 metres, between around down about two pylons. As George explained, it was, “Freeride total”. I found it was brakes on, point and shoot.

After a final run from the top, Scottish Richie, who had been to La Massana before and knew some trails, took a couple of us on some classic trails from the top of the gondola, Old School, then onto Route 66. These trails were great, especially Old School which was fast and open with natural jumps and swooping berms, great to hit at speed, winding through the forest, great to hang it out on, faster and faster, trying to stay off the brakes. The it was onto Route 66. A flat out affair, with berms cut into the mountain to allow you to criss cross down, with jumps and little rocky drops thrown in for good measure. Last section back into town was a fast and rough one too, lots of boulders to smash through. Glad I had the Mini DH bike for that!

So it was a good start to the trip; except for one of the Kiwis with us who broke his hand, catching it on a tree as he passed by. A shame, because his riding was over for the rest of the time, although he made up for it in consumed alcohol. Go Louie!!

Next time: qualification and the finals