Exploring AlpiBike Resorts
The past 8 days have consisted of more time on a downhill bike then I usually put in during an entire summer. In addition to the riding at Sauze D’oulx, the town that’s served as our base camp for the past week, we’ve been traveling to nearby resorts to check out the trail systems and ride and shoot with local pro-riders. Sauze is part of a 9 resort group known as AlpiBike Resorts, all towns that hosted winter olympic events in 2006. The resorts vary in the number of trails and the type of riding they offer – from smooth and bermy like Bardonecchia to the rocky and impossibly fast and steep race course at Prali resort.
Tuesday was a short drive to the nearby Bardonecchia, home to the Olympic village and the snowboard events, as well as a small number of well maintained downhill trails. Although we managed to spend the whole day there shooting photos and riding, there were only a few trails to play on – needless to say we got quite familiar with them! Wed was a further drive to the minimalist Prali resort (I emphasize minimalist… all the “toilets” are holes in the ground). The mountain is staggeringly high, with a little double chairlift that rises straight to the top. The race course, which is Prali’s standout trail, is easily the most difficult track I’ve ever ridden, and it’s technicality would rival any World Cup race course. There is a kilometer trail to simply access the race course that has a mandatory 8 foot gap across a creek and another mandatory 5 foot drop off a bridge, along with several rocky chutes! The course itself is rocky and blindingly high speed, but amazing and impossibly fun… not to mention exhausting! We rode with the Argentina bike team again, before they took for an Italian cup race.
Today was spent in Montgenevre, France – a short half hour drive from Sauze D’oulx. The Montgenevre trails are more freeride oriented, with tons of fun berms, ladders and drops. We rode with one of the local bike park guides, who showed us all the trails and made fun of the Italians with me and Fraser. We rode the entire day, with no breaks, no lunch, nothing – just loving the fast trails and mindblowing views.
Evenings have been spent in much the same way. On of the local restaurants has opened its doors to our large group and has hosted us every evening. Since I’m FINALLY feeling better, I’m starting to enjoy the local food – which is particularly tasty at L’Atalier. With free food an never-ending bottles of wine, what’s not to like? My only complaint is the pervasive Michael Jackson music, which is virtually inescapable at the moment and the Italian propensity to have conversations in doorways… but I’ll take it for what I’ve got!
