Champery DH World Cup
Last Saturday we arrived in Champery where the World Cup in down-hill
was held the same day. We left the car at our lodge and took the cablecar
up to Croix de Culet to walk down to the start of the race.
To make it possible for all the spectators to watch the race they have
built a special spectator trail beside the actual race course.
Champery World Cup downhill course is known to be one of the hardest
you can run and they recomend you to not even think about riding it
unless you are a World Cup rider. We could easily understand why.
Here a short video from the uper part of the course:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHIyuWNtDxc
The course was really wet and muddy and the pictures and movie doesn´t really
show how step and hard it was. I´m a beginner on downhill but I think everyone
that was there where more than impressed with the riders. On the way down we
saw a familiar face behind a big camera. Chris Patient from Zermatt came over
for the day to get some good shots. It is not easy to capture biking I must say.
Walking down was hard even though they built the special trail. It was so muddy
people were getting stuck in the mud at some places and sliding down at other.
Half way down we saw a helicopter that came to bring down a rider that
fell badly. From what we heard they also had to bring down a spectator that
slipped.
It was a very good atmosphere and the further down we came the more
people were there to watch. We heard a figure of 8000 paying visitors.
The winner for the men Gee Atherton made it down in 4 min and 2 sec.
It is insane how fast they are going considering the steepness and the state
of the course.
When the race was over we came down to the goal area where you could
walk around and look at the different bikes and parts and everything else
you need for biking.
Some of the riders were signing posters for their fans. Here is Steve Peat,
World Champion 2009.
This is also where they had the price ceremoni. Three french women were
top three for the women and two britts and a south african in top three
for the men. Not sure why, but maybe the britts are more used to the mud : )
Here are the superstars showering in champagne.
A more proffesional movie showing part of the run for the best women
and men can be seen on the 3 minute link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ylAVCJNZNU
When the ceremony was over we had a raclette with Chris in one of the
tents and headed home to our base for the coming week. I was lucky to
win a price in a drawing that the Valais Road Show had in Stockholm
together with Swiss Tourisme, a luxury apartment in the Lodge in Champery
just 300 meters from the cable car.
We had three bedrooms and would have loved to fill it up with some more
friends. It is a shame to have a big place like this to ourselves, but since
we were alone we choosed to stay in the master bedroom ; )
We even had our own jacuzzi outside. I think this is a great place for smaller
groups, friends or families. You have everything you need here and can
choose to stay home and cook or go out and eat. For bikers you have a
laundry room in the house and a place to clean your bike.
More info on the apartments can be found at: http://www.miggins.ch/
Uffe and I were superhappy with our first day in Champery and inspired to
go biking ourselves.
KEEP GETTING INSPIRED
/Anna
was held the same day. We left the car at our lodge and took the cablecar
up to Croix de Culet to walk down to the start of the race.
To make it possible for all the spectators to watch the race they have
built a special spectator trail beside the actual race course.
Champery World Cup downhill course is known to be one of the hardest
you can run and they recomend you to not even think about riding it
unless you are a World Cup rider. We could easily understand why.
Here a short video from the uper part of the course:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHIyuWNtDxc
The course was really wet and muddy and the pictures and movie doesn´t really
show how step and hard it was. I´m a beginner on downhill but I think everyone
that was there where more than impressed with the riders. On the way down we
saw a familiar face behind a big camera. Chris Patient from Zermatt came over
for the day to get some good shots. It is not easy to capture biking I must say.
Walking down was hard even though they built the special trail. It was so muddy
people were getting stuck in the mud at some places and sliding down at other.
Half way down we saw a helicopter that came to bring down a rider that
fell badly. From what we heard they also had to bring down a spectator that
slipped.
It was a very good atmosphere and the further down we came the more
people were there to watch. We heard a figure of 8000 paying visitors.
The winner for the men Gee Atherton made it down in 4 min and 2 sec.
It is insane how fast they are going considering the steepness and the state
of the course.
When the race was over we came down to the goal area where you could
walk around and look at the different bikes and parts and everything else
you need for biking.
Some of the riders were signing posters for their fans. Here is Steve Peat,
World Champion 2009.
This is also where they had the price ceremoni. Three french women were
top three for the women and two britts and a south african in top three
for the men. Not sure why, but maybe the britts are more used to the mud : )
Here are the superstars showering in champagne.
A more proffesional movie showing part of the run for the best women
and men can be seen on the 3 minute link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ylAVCJNZNU
When the ceremony was over we had a raclette with Chris in one of the
tents and headed home to our base for the coming week. I was lucky to
win a price in a drawing that the Valais Road Show had in Stockholm
together with Swiss Tourisme, a luxury apartment in the Lodge in Champery
just 300 meters from the cable car.
We had three bedrooms and would have loved to fill it up with some more
friends. It is a shame to have a big place like this to ourselves, but since
we were alone we choosed to stay in the master bedroom ; )
We even had our own jacuzzi outside. I think this is a great place for smaller
groups, friends or families. You have everything you need here and can
choose to stay home and cook or go out and eat. For bikers you have a
laundry room in the house and a place to clean your bike.
More info on the apartments can be found at: http://www.miggins.ch/
Uffe and I were superhappy with our first day in Champery and inspired to
go biking ourselves.
KEEP GETTING INSPIRED
/Anna
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