The Passportes du Soleil is happening again from the 24th – 26th June 2011. This event is now so popular that the have added an extra day of racing on the Friday.
There are still some places available but they are going fast so don’t wait too long. You can register online on the Passportes du Soleil website.
For those who don’t know, the Passportes is a fantastic mountain bike trek taking in the whole of the Portes du Soleil. The route ranges from 1000 to 2250m in altitude, and covers terrain in both France & Switzerland.
The 80 km circuit use 14 lifts. There are also optional climbs for those (crazy) riders wishing to cycle up hill.
There is always a real festival feel to the event, with music and bike shows in many of the resorts. There are also lots of refreshment stops along the way where you can feel up on energy drinks and snacks, or if you prefer, sausage cheese and wine (not recommended for too early in the day).
All in all, the Passportes is a great day out and as someone who has done it 5 or 6 times, I thoroughly recommend it.
The is also the usual Pass’Portes Mountain bike Show which in 2011 will be held in les Gets.
As usual accommodation in Chatel for this weekend is booking up quickly so contact us soon if you need somewhere to stay. We should be able to find you some self catered or hotel accommodation.
Come and pit yourself against Europe’s best bike playground!
The sun is out, there isn’t a cloud in the sky and the summer MTB season well and truly underway.
We have already had the Pass Portes du Soleil race – with the hub of this year’s race taking place in Chatel along with demos, competitions and exhibitions.
We had some Canadian freeride legends including Steve Romaniuk and some of the other RadicalFilms (Kranked) Riders in town for the 4th Chatel Mountain Style comp last weekend.
Trek, Scott and Commencal have had various product launches and team training in the region, we still have the Champery MTB World Cup on July 24-25th, plus Chatel is hosting the final of the European IXS Downhill Cup From Saturday 11 September to Sunday 12 September 2010.
As well as all the “celebrity” mtb news, the everyday riding in Chatel has stepped up a gear (excuse the pun) with a number of new trails at the bike park, and some improvements on the existing trails. Full information about the riding in Chatel can be found on the Chatel bike park site.
Take a look at the highlights of some of the season so far…
The Passportes du Soleil is an epic mountain bike race in the huge Portes du Soleil region of France & Switzerland which heralds the start of summer and the opening of the lift system. It takes place over the last weekend in June, and has evolved from an earlier event known as the “Freeraid”.
Most riders don’t really treat the Passportes as a race (although you do get a number for the front of your bike) but simply a great day’s mountain bike riding. The event is massive – 2 days, 3 courses (30, 45 & 75 km) and 3700 riders. The classic trek of 75 km includes 12 ski lifts, 6500 m of total downhill, 500 m of total uphill climb.
What makes this event unique is the fact that it attracts a wide range of participants – from lycra clad cross country riders to armour clad downhill riders, and from beginners to experts. Everyone gets involved and rides the same course. True, the cross country riders tend to beat the downhill riders on the climbs, and for the real keen peddlers, there is also optional climbing sections. And true the downhillers tend to overtake the cross country riders when it comes to descending, and there are a couple of optional “free ride” sections. But overall, the race is a fantastic melting pot of all mountain bike styles and standards.
As for the course itself – it has to be one of the best in the world! It takes in some amazing panoramas on the Morgins and Champoussin sections with views of the Dents du Midi, the Dents Blanch and even Mont Blanc. There is some excellent steep and twisty single track down through the woods in Torgon. There are dedicated downhill courses used at Chatel and Les Gets. There is an epic descent from the top of Linderets down to Morzine and there are some great meandering cross-country sections on relatively easy 4×4 tracks.
Another excellent feature of this event are the fantastic refreshment stands located at regular intervals throughout the course. Large tables offer up a wide range of snacks and drinks, from energy/nut bars to cheese and ham, from energy drinks to beer and wine. It is always interesting to see who feels fit to tuck into the alcoholic drinks at ten in the morning, and then avoid them if you see them on the course!
The Passporte du Soleil is really an event for everyone. It has become so massive that it now sells out months in advance. However, if you visit the Portes du Soleil later on in the summer, it is possible to get a map from the local tourist office and cycle pretty much the whole route.
Race stats:
Classic trek – 75 Km
The classic circuit is for purists: a long tour of the Portes du Soleil about 75km
* approximatively 75km – 12 lifts
* 6500m of total downhill/ 500m of total uphill
* 7 resorts to start from : Avoriaz, Châtel, Les Gets, Morzine, Champéry, Morgins et Torgon
* 8 refreshments points
Intermediate trek – 45 km
45km with one aim in mind; having fun
* approximatively 45km – 7 lifts
* 4000m of total downhill /300m of total uphill.
* 4 resorts to start from: Châtel, Champéry, Morgins et Torgon.
* 4 refreshments points
Discovery trek – 30km
For those who are quite good at mountain biking, but out on The Portes du Soleil’s tracks for the first ime…an ideal “breaking in route”
* approximatively 30km- 5 lifts
* 2200m of total downhill/ 200m of total uphill
* 3 resorts to start from: Avoriaz, Morzine et Les Gets
* 3 refreshments points
rtes du Soleil is happening again from the 24th – 26th June 2011. This event is now so popular that the have added an extra day of racing on the Friday.
The is also the usual Pass’Portes Mountain bike Show which in 2011 will be held in les Gets.
