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FOTO / VIDEO STORY

  • CONGRATS HUGO PIGEON!

    THE MEGAVALANCHE 2023

    Words Jack Reading | Photos Hoshi Yoshida

The 2023 Megavalanche was as spectacular as any that have gone before. The snow levels were high, and the levels of excitement in the SR SUNTOUR pit amongst the athletes and support staff were higher. With lots of top athletes in attendance, and our new DUROLUX 38 fork ready for action, it was all set to be a spectacular week of racing. Stefan Peter, winner of the Mega in 2021 and 2022, was excited to defend his title again, and Liam Moynihan who finished in a career best 2nd place in 2022, was ready to ride hard for that first win.

Early in the week, Jack Reading kicked things off winning the No Chain race by over 2 seconds, with his junior team mate Owen Rick taking 4th place. The main race’s qualifying heats were really successful for our athletes. Winning their heats and taking a spot on the front row of the Megavalanche were Stefan Peter and Jack Reading. Also securing front row spots by finishing 2nd or 3rd in their qualifying heats were Hugo Pigeon, Liam Moynihan, Theo Galy, Premek Tejchman and James Shirley.

 

The snow levels were high, and the levels of excitement in the SR SUNTOUR pit amongst the athletes and support staff were higher.

 

Although there was a lot of snow on the glacier, the temperatures for the weekend of the race were high, which meant the snow was very soft. Colder temperatures would mean frozen hard pack snow that riders can race across the top of, but warmer softer snow means riders sink and create ruts on the steep sections, leaving it difficult for the riders behind to ride through, until eventually the snow is too ploughed up for riding to be possible. In conditions like this, even the fastest riders who lead the race, would have no option but to get off and run through the flatter sections. The E-Bike Megavalanche was held on Saturday and Theo Galy battled hard through the soft snow, to finish in an impressive 2nd place.

 

The E-bike Megavalanche was held on Saturday and Theo Galy battled hard through the soft snow, to finish in an impressive 2nd place.

 

There was a slight delay for the start of the main Megavalanche race, and the riders knew the warm morning sun had made the snow very soft, so they were all apprehensive of what was waiting for them after the start. Regardless, all of our front row riders went out hard, with Stefan Peter getting the hole shot and leading riders into the first corner, with Theo Galy and Jack Reading following close behind. Dylan Crane got a great start from the second row and was making a strong case for himself right behind the front runners.

Disaster struck for Jack Reading on the second straight. As he went over a blind crest at approximately 50mph, while running in 5th place, he suddenly faced multiple deep rock filled holes, where the snow had totally melted away, right in his path. Without the space to manoeuvre around them, he jumped and cleared the hole, however when he landed back in the soft snow, the bike dug in and slowed down extremely quickly and ejected him over the handlebars. To see the horrifying high speed crash which Theo Galy captured on his GoPro, you can head to Instagram or YouTube. Thankfully Jack walked away from the crash without major injury, but it forced him and the bike to retire from the race.

 

Congrats Hugo Pigeon on winning the Megavalanche 2023!

The race was spectacular, and our very own SR SUNTOUR rider Hugo Pigeon won his first Megavalanche with a very impressive ride. Stefan Peter finished in 5th place securing a podium and Liam Moynihan rode well for another top 10 finish with 9th place. We’re pleased to have supported our athletes through another Megavalanche week and would like to congratulate them all on their performances. 2024 is just around the corner!

We’ve taken everything you love about the DUROLUX and made it bigger and badder! The new DUROLUX38 is ready to take on even the most hectic lines with 38mm stanchions for added stiffness and even more precision.