Megavalanche Alpe d'Huez with Frank Schneider & Friends
"La Bomba! Alarma!"
It's been exactly 10 years now. In 2012, Frank "Schneidi" Schneider competed for the last time in the legendary Megavalanche race at Mount Pic Blanc. On a single-speed hardtail, Frank pulled off an incredible feat and outclassed the vast majority of enduros and trail bikes, who were of course riding with full suspension and gears. The former German downhill vice champion, long-time World Cup racer and Nicolai team rider was already sponsored by the Gates brand at the time. As part of the development of the new Gates CDX series, a Carbon Drive variant developed specifically for mountain biking, Frank was tasked with testing the product for his sponsor under the toughest conditions imaginable. And that meant at the Alpe d'Huez Megavalanche. The drive delivered. Frank finished second out of about 400 starters in the finals of the Challenger Race and as the winner in the Masters 30 category.
Frank has since advanced from team rider to deputy managing director of the German Gates distribution, the company UT. But once a racer, forever a racer. And so, on the morning of July 3, 2022, 6:15 a.m. local time, 10 years after his surprising victory, he finds himself once again in the big gondola that takes him to the start of the Megavalanche together with dozens of other wildly determined competitors. The legendary race has been around since 1995, and nearly every media title has covered it, so here are just the key facts in a quick run-through:
The mens' main race kicks off with a mass start at an altitude of 3330 meters. The finish is 2600 meters lower in Allemond. The town of Alpe d'Huez, which gives the race its title, at barely 1800 meters is about halfway down the course. The Megavalanche of Alpe d'Huez is thus the longest and toughest downhill race on the planet. There are 12 starting rows, each with around 30 riders. Qualifying races held in advance over a section of the race course decide whether you participate in the race and from which starting row.
The qualifying runs are done in groups of 150 riders each, starting just above the cable car midway point at about 2800 meters and going downhill over roughly 1000 meters of elevation. The first to third-placed riders in each of the preliminary runs start from the first row in the finals, the fourth to sixth from the second row, the seventh to ninth from the third row, and so on. That means that only just under a third of all riders make it to the finals at all.
Frank had a bad start in the qualifying run, found himself at the back of the field and was hampered by a mass crash right after the start. But he managed to push through. In the end it was still good for a 7th place, which meant a start from the 3rd row in the main race. Frank was not the only rider in Alpe d'Huez who started with Carbon Drive. The Zerode Enduro Team from New Zealand with Bradley Lauder, Lucas Walch and Leo Housman as well as Rod Hall from Team Nicolai / Ronny Racing are likewise sponsored by Gates. Also at the start was Christian Gebicke as a UT / Gates / Nicolai guest rider. The 6 guys made up a strong team in Alpe d'Huez. They lived, cooked, trained and wrenched together. Zerode rider Bradley Lauder scored a 10th place in qualifying and started one row behind Frank. Christian Gebicke finished 45th, which was not enough for the main race. He was still able to start in the Challenger race where he finished 76th. Zerode rider Leo Housman caught a flat tire and did not qualify. His teammate Lucas Walch got sick on the spot and therefore dropped out. The best qualifier was Rod Hall. With an impressive 3rd place he was entitled to start from the exclusive first row.
The start from one of the front rows not only brings a real margin in meters. The start area is largely free of snow this year, but the first section of the course at the summit leads over ski slopes and snowfields, and the firn is wet and soft due to the warm weather. The slopes are rolled for the race, but the tires draw deep ruts. Only the riders in the front rows have any chance at all of finding a clean line. The further back you ride here, the more difficult it gets. The bike then follows the worn grooves, shifts and lurches wildly, the rider becomes a passenger. Crashes and pileups are common here.
At the start, the infamous techno siren sounds: "Alarma! El Ritmo Fatal! La Bomba!" The huge field of riders starts moving almost simultaneously. Frank, from the third row, is already struggling with deep ruts in the snow, but no comparison to the chaos that erupts behind him. Frank doesn't notice any of this, however. His focus is only forward, on the lines, and on the 90 or so riders who have started in front of and alongside him. Frank pulls away nicely, makes up many positions over the first few kilometers and continues to press on toward the front. As the race progresses, the grid becomes more and more stretched out, and the leading pack falls out of sight. The riders keep calling out to the spectators as they pass, asking for their current position. As the snowfields end, a spectator shouts back to Frank, "45!" He fights his way past more riders.
Just before Alpe d'Huez, about halfway, he can hear, "32!" This motivates, and motivation is the only truly effective remedy against the onset of exhaustion. But then fate strikes. On an uphill passage behind Alp d'Huez, a shoelace comes loose and gets caught in the drive, wrapping around the pedal. Standstill. Frank has to dismount. While he curses and frees his shoe, one rider after the other, whom he has previously overtaken, passes him again. When the ride finally continues, Frank is able to move up a few places again, but disappointment and frustration are now riding along with him.
After 51 minutes and 7 seconds, Frank finally reaches the finish line. Exhaustion overwhelms him. Drinking, lying down in the grass, waiting for the final rankings to be updated in the app. Then the result: 56th place overall. He has lost 24 positions due to the shoelace. The winner of the Masters 40 class is only 8 positions ahead of Frank. But he still finished third, which means a podium finish. His mood rises. And when it goes for the podium ceremony, it is back: The good old Schneidis' smile!
Fastest rider from Team Zerode / Gates / Pinion was Bradley Lauder in 45th place overall and 22nd in his Masters 30 class. Rod Hall, Team Nicolai / Ronny Racing unfortunately did not profit from his 3rd qualifying place in the end, he dropped out with a flat tire.
We took the opportunity to pick Frank Schneider's brains about how best to prepare for a race like the Megavalanche. What tricks does an old hand like him have up his sleeve?
Punctures seem to be one of the most common reasons for break downs at the Megavalanche. What's the best way to be prepared against that?
Frank: That's right. In any case, you should ride a tire with a downhill carcass and sidewall protection. My favorite tire for such purpose is a combination of Maxxis Assegai in the rear and Shorty in the front. I ride them with a foam insert and, of course, tubeless. Additionally, I add a larger amount of sealant and also run a higher air pressure than usual. Front 2.1 bar and rear 2.3.
Does a puncture always mean the end?
Frank: A crack in the sidewall does. With a small puncture, however, it depends on a quick repair. I have a tubeless repair kit with me, which I have put on the down tube with Duct Tape. For quick access. If you find the puncture quickly, stuff it with a prepared plug and refill the tire with a Co2 cartridge, you still lose many positions, of course, but can resume the race relatively quickly. Provided you keep your nerves during the repair.
Did you keep your nerves when you pulled your shoe out of the drive?
Frank: I was frustrated and stressed and the damn thing was really stuck.
Is it possible to prepare for a situation like that?
Frank: Normally I would have ridden with motorcycle trial boots. They are perfect for something like that. No laces, stable, soft sole with top grip and at the same time a good protection for feet and ankles. Unfortunately, they failed me during the qualifying run. At one the sole came loose.
With lace-ups then maybe strap a diving knife to the leg? What else do you have with you? Or what do you skip?
Frank: I'm racing without a water bottle, backpack, spare tube or snacks. That's all just ballast. Besides the tubeless repair kit, I only have a multitool with me. Which is also taped to the down tube.
Can you tell us about your equipment? What kind of bike is ideal for such a race?
Frank: My bike is a recent Nicolai Ion G15 with 12-speed Pinion gearbox and Carbon Drive. This combination is absolutely rugged and virtually indestructible. The frame has 145 mm of rear travel. More travel would probably be a bit faster and more energy-saving on the long, hard descents. But at the Megavalanche there are also long pedaling passages and tough uphills. Since the advantage is then reversed the opposite. A bike like my Ion, with medium travel but a flat, long geometry for fast descents, which simultaneously can be ridden uphill without much loss, is therefore ideal.
What is your suspension setup? Do you have there another tip ready?
Frank: I ride a Suntour Durolux RC2 fork with 160 mm and a Suntour RS21 Edge Plus shock. All in all, I run a slightly higher pressure and less sag than in a normal enduro race, because of the uphills and pedaling passages. Quite important, however, is to increase the damping in a long-distance downhill like the Megavalanche. Compression damping, but the rebound damping in particular. The oil heats up significantly during the long ride, due to the numerous impacts and bumps. This changes the viscosity, so that the damping becomes faster and faster over time. So it is then a bit of a bucking at the beginning, but after a relatively short time and further down the track, when your power decreases, your suspension then works perfectly.
Thanks for the insights and tips and congratulations on your 3rd place.
This article was first published in a modified form on MTB-News.de.
Photos: Hoshi K. Yoshida
