Saab Salomon Mountain-X Race 2008
A Biker’s Paradise
24.07.2008
The Saab Salomon Mountain-X Race caravan set out again this morning at a 6am from Beaufort, the region’s eponymous cheese Mecca, to finish in another town renowned for it’s dairy delights, Thônes, home to the Reblochon. However, what differentiated these two gastronomic Shangri-Las, for the teams, turned out to be two long and grueling MTB sections.
The first, 42km with 2,000m of elevation gain between Beaufort and Notre-Dame-de-Bellecombe, confronted the athletes with some very steep portage, both up and down, myriad route choices and some crucial navigational options. In other words, plenty of opportunities to see the more cunning competition go speeding past. It would seem that, of all the teams, Americans NIKE made the most of these chances during the morning’s race, in lieu, perhaps, of being the strongest team physically.
After holding their own on the blistering start by SCIENTEC NUTRITION (FRA), the trio Kloser-Tobin-Lebrun managed the section’s best time ahead of overall race leaders, SAAB SALOMON (GBR), by 10 minutes. Unfortunately, equipment issues dogged the Spaniards of SALOMON SANTIVERI 1 (2nd in the overall ranking at the start of the day) when they found themselves having to stop every 2km to pump up a tire that was irreparably damaged early in the section. It cost them an hour in the end ...
Those who survived the morning’s escapade had more of the same to look forward, a second 32km section with 1,150m elevation gain between Flumet and Thônes. Smarting from the shock of a 13th place unworthy of the team’s talent, QUECHUA - COMPAGNIE DES ALPES 1 went all out to put the record straight and managed the fastest time in under less them 2h10, just ahead of Germans NORDIC SPORTS SALOMON and the French of FART 1.
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