Weir fastest on day 3

Day three of the Trans-Provence over 49km from Dignes-Les Bains to Villars-Colmars brought a slightly less arduous day than the epic that was day two. Regardless of that, it was still three hard stages including a brutal hike-a-bike to start the day.

Riders initially gained 500 vertical meters in less than four kilometres, starting with fireroad and then onto a steep path cut in to the mountainside. Hard breathing and carrying (and no doubt cursing) were rewarded with amazing views across Provence and in the distance the second special stage (9) of the day.

Before that, riders had to negotiate special stage 8 with a huge drop in elevation and many types of technical riding.

From the col, an open section led through open loose rock singletrack and switchbacks before plunging in to leaf-filled woodland similar to something you may find on a (dry) day in the south of England.

The riders were then spat out in to open meadow land all too briefly before finding themselves in long a rock chute of singletrack that threw them down to the valley floor, after cresting one more undulation. (Trans-Provencers who have been part of the event since the first year are used to Ash's various way's of describing climbs without saying the word "climb". - ed.). The trail finally plummeted down to finish.

After the feed station, special stage 9 was a combination of woodland and rock gardens - before a hard fireroad climb that lead to an open rock riverbed through pine forest - fast and not as technical as most stages and the climb in the middle meant that the stage really suited fit riders, not just good technical ones.

The final stage of day three was more of what anyone that loves mountain biking would ask for. Fast on-site flowing open sections through the top of the stage with a feeling of exposure, before pine forest loam land curled down to a riverside trail and the end of another hard day's riding

As always, today was about great trails in beautiful country but day three also passes a major watershed and begins the journey in to the higher Maritime Alps, as can be seen by tomorrow's start of the day with a 2000-metre drop from Col du Champs.

Full Results

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Day 3
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Mark Weir0:26:00
2Ben CruzRow 1 - Cell 2
3Nicolas Vouilloz0:01:00
4Jérôme ClementzRow 3 - Cell 2
5Matt RyanRow 4 - Cell 2
6Fabien Barel0:02:00
7Rowan Sorrell0:04:00
8James RichardsRow 7 - Cell 2
9Andreas HestlerRow 8 - Cell 2
10Pascal Kienast0:05:00
11Iain MathewsRow 10 - Cell 2
12Marc Beaumont0:06:00
13Steve JonesRow 12 - Cell 2
14Mick KirkmanRow 13 - Cell 2
15Rob BrookesRow 14 - Cell 2
16Tim GraverseRow 15 - Cell 2
17Sven Martin0:07:00
18Neil McleanRow 17 - Cell 2
19Tracy Moseley0:08:00
20Kevin HarperRow 19 - Cell 2
21Joris ZimmermannRow 20 - Cell 2
22Anka Martin0:09:00
23Matt AlderRow 22 - Cell 2
24Chris Porter0:10:00
25Cesar Rojo0:12:00
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General classification after day 3
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Nicolas Vouilloz1:26:00
2Jérôme ClementzRow 1 - Cell 2
3Mark WeirRow 2 - Cell 2
4Fabien Barel0:02:00
5Matt RyanRow 4 - Cell 2
6Ben CruzRow 5 - Cell 2
7Rowan Sorrell0:09:00
8Marc Beaumont0:10:00
9Steve Jones0:12:00
10James Richards0:13:00
11Mick Kirkman0:15:00
12Rob Brookes0:18:00
13Pascal KienastRow 12 - Cell 2
14Tim GraverseRow 13 - Cell 2
15Sven Martin0:19:00
16Andreas HestlerRow 15 - Cell 2
17Iain Mathews0:20:00
18Neil Mclean0:21:00
19Tracy Moseley0:22:00
20Cesar RojoRow 19 - Cell 2
21Kevin HarperRow 20 - Cell 2
22Chris PorterRow 21 - Cell 2
23Joris Zimmermann0:30:00
24Anka MartinRow 23 - Cell 2
25Matt Alder0:31:00

 

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