AlpinBike Lake Annecy: a sporty weekend in the heart of the Bauges

This year again, the AlpinBike Lac d’Annecy was the end-of-summer sportive not to be missed! Starting from Saint-Jorioz (74), more than 800 cyclists gathered on the weekend of August 21st and 22nd to enjoy the charms of Lake Annecy and the welcoming warmth of the Bauges Massif. With a timed climb, a Gravel course, and 3 sportive courses accessible either in touring mode or timed mode, there was something for everyone!

Source: Press Release

A FORMIDABLE WARM-UP

Traditionally, the first day on Saturday allows riders to get warmed up before Sunday’s courses. For the second consecutive year, the organization focused on the Montée du Semnoz, a true symbol of the region. For the sixty participants at the start, the Montée du Semnoz was a formidable warm-up. With 24km of non-stop ascent from the center of Saint-Jorioz and over 1250m of elevation gain to conquer, it took courage and motivation to pin on a bib number. Nevertheless, the view from the summit and the clear 360° panorama of the Alpine Massif quickly made participants forget the pain and fatigue associated with the intense effort. We salute the victory of Nicolas GUILLOT in 58m40s for the men and Jolien DEVRIESE in 1h29m10s for the women.

THE BAUGES, TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN!

With such a playground, it was natural to discover the other, even more natural and unusual, side of the Bauges! For the first time this year, the AlpinBike Lac d’Annecy also featured Gravel with a stage supporting the Cannondale Gravel’Tour. A pass at over 1500m, a panorama of some of the highest peaks of the Bauges, and a good dose of local fauna and flora awaited our participants. About fifty participants competed on this challenging 70km course with 1900m of elevation gain. Congratulations to Kévin BOSCARDIN for his victory in the men’s category in 3h07m27s and to Lise DARFEUILLE for her victory in the women’s category in 4h14m46s.

A SUNDAY IN BAUGES!

Despite starts given from the Esplanade de Saint-Jorioz under a threatening sky, the 700 participants of the second day of the AlpinBike Lac d’Annecy had the pleasure of finding rather mild weather en route. Only the 300 participants of the Semnoz Course (130 km | D+ 2850m) had the pleasure of touching the clouds on the first part of the course. After climbing to the Crêt de Chatillon, they descended into the valley to the Pont de l’Abime and rejoined the 300 participants of the Bauges Course (110 km | D+ 2020m) to stay with them until the finish. Together, they discovered the rolling roads of the Bauges Massif, heading towards the Col de Plainpalais, Aillon-le Jeune, Chatelard, and La Motte en Bauges. Between the alpine summits, local producers, pastures, and alpine meadows, these two AlpinBike Lac d’Annecy courses highlighted a strong territorial identity. On these demanding routes, leaving little room for rest, we salute the victories of Rémi NICOLON (2h49m15) and Claire HOCHART (3h21m46s) on the Bauges Course and those of Raphael ADDY (3h20m59) and Victoire JONCHERAY (4h29m14) on the Semnoz Course.

For cyclists who didn’t want to challenge the clock, two courses were accessible in Touring Mode. The Tour du Chatelard (55km | D+ 1 150m) took about fifty touring riders to the village of Chatelard via the famous Col de Leschaux. This undemanding course allowed them to gently discover the world of sportives, without pressure. For those wanting to challenge themselves personally and cross the 100km mark, it was also possible to enter the Bauges Course (110km | D+ 2 020m) and experience a true mountain stage.

=> SEE ALSO: All our MAG articles