Olivier Bruwiere rides Megavalanche Alpe d'Huez

Last weekend was all about the legendary Megavalanche in Alpe d'Huez - the mass start race that starts on a glacier at an altitude of 3,300 meters and finishes some 2,600 altimeters lower. A brutal, technical and above all physically exhausting race. This year the Megavalanche celebrated its 30th anniversary!

Preparation is important

 For this long physical race, I chose the Lazer Cage KinetiCore. Lightweight, sleekly finished, and most importantly: superbly ventilated. That is no luxury in a race in which you have to maintain full focus for 40 minutes, from snow, through rocks, to dusty singletracks. The helmet fit like a glove, gave me the confidence and above all the comfort you need in a race like this.

Qualifying on Friday

My qualifying started strongly - I was riding in the lead of a wave with strong opposition, but a crash threw a spanner in the works. This meant I missed out on a good starting position for the final on Sunday, and in a race like the Megavalanche that makes a world of difference. The breakaway visor did what it was supposed to do, and I ended up only hurting my wrist. I was able to continue qualifying and finished in 3rd place.

Final: top 5 is always the goal

There is always something special about standing on Pic Blanc (3330m) at 7am.

We start at 9am with the 300 best riders.

Despite the inferior starting position, I got away well over the first part of the black ski slope. I knew it was important to get among the first 10 on the snow. I felt strong and the rhythm was good. In spot 9 I started the long rocky singletrack. On the physical sections I was able to overtake someone each time. So on the long climb I rode up to the wheel of leader and winner Hugo Pigeon. In the second part of the race I had to give in a little on the downhill. After an intense battle with world champion Alex Rudeau, I finished in 2nd place - my best result ever in Alpe d'Huez!

Another step higher next year?