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
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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.
