Here is the first poster of the 25th birthday of the first international MTB championship meeting.
Soon the English version.

We welcome the riders who were there in 1987 and all Retrobikers !

That looks great! Lovely poster...

That's a bit further south than the original isn't it?

Hello, it's the same location

The poster in English

Written in my schedule !

Some news :
The project is now on track.
Our local partners, especially the town of Villard de Lans validated the project, a budget ...

The program:
- A hiking inspired by the original trail
- Special guests contacted Ned Overend, Joe Murray, Jacques Devi (the podium at the time) and some more surprises!
- An exhibition of old school bike over 1000 m²
- Animations,
- A gala evening.

More details to follow!

Hello and happy new year for everybody

The project is accurate, we have confirmation of local partnerships. Contacts are made with great champions and legends of the mountain bike (Ned Overend, Joe Murray, Gary Fischer ...). We hope that most of them will come to a historic moment.

More details soon

Some details

Ned Overend will be present for the 25 th anniversary !!!

Registration will be available HERE from the beginning of February

We announce the exceptional presence of Ned Overend, who won it there's 25 years. Jacques Devi (3 rd) will be there too. Joe Murray, 2 nd, has not yet confirmed his coming. Of course, other prominent figures will be present, more info coming crispy!

It's the weekend before MM12 - very tempted to make a dash across the water for this (especially as it's not as far as I first thought)....

It's will be great if you can be there !!

Here is the interview of NED OVEREND about the event made by Generation Mountain Bike :

1) Hello Ned, it's been 25 years since the 1st World Mountain Bike Championship at Villard de Lans. What memories do you have of that course?

"First I remember that they started on a football field and everyone was in the front row so a fast start was very important. I remember a pretty long rocky climb that broke up the field early in the race. I especially remember a tight, rough descent with lots of cliff exposure. The promoters actually had nets in some places on the side of the trail to keep riders from falling to their death."

2) Any stories to tell us about the course and race?

"I don’t remember too much detail about the race. I do remember that Jean Claude Garot the publisher of Winning magazine flew myself, Joe Murray, Mary Lee Atkins and Jacquie Phelan over from the US. He reserved a house outside of town for us to stay. Jacquie met about ten Canadien racers and invited them all to stay with us, they ate all the food , used all the hot water and plugged up the plumbing in the bathroom, but it was still fun times."

3) Realizing in advance that there are way too many for you to remember, can you at least tell us some of more notable vitories in the course of your spectacular career?

"The different World Chamopionships and World Cup wins stand out the most. The win at Villard de Lans was my first win in Europe. I also won a couple titles in Mammoth California. My win in Colorado in 90 was the first UCI championships. I won world cups in Italy and Switzerland in 94 which were memorable because of the high level of competition."

4) Where does your nickname 'Captain' come from ?

"I was called the “Captain” of the Specialized team back in the late 80’s."

5) What do you attribute your legendary stature in the world of mountain biking?

"I love to train and race Mtn bikes and my fitness and bike skills are well suited to the demands of Mtn bike racing. I have been fortunate to have a long relationship with Specialized , since retiring from the team in 1994 my job in product development has allowed me to continue to train and race without the pressure to win that most mtn bike racers have to deal with."

6) Have you often ridden in France and if so, what's your favorite place ?

"I have raced in several areas in France besides Villard de Lans, Ive raced at Roc d’azur, Monosque at a World Cup and the World Championships in Metabief. All those courses were very different. Roc d’azur was the most fun."

7) What's it feel like to come back 25 years later to the site of your first international success ?

"It brings back a lot of good memories of my early days of mtn bike racing. It makes me realize how much the racing and equipment has changed."

8) Joe Murray, who you know well, 2nd behind you in the race, and Jacques Devi, who was 3rd, are also going to attend the event. You have anything you'd like to tell them ?

They must be old – like me! I see Joe a few times a year at cycling events but I have not seen Jacques sine 1987. It will be interesting to hear his view on the growth of Mtn biking.

9) And finally, of all the bikes you've ridden - mountain, road, time trial - what was/is your favorite? Or perhaps which pulls up the best memories ?

"I like the new bikes the best, my 29 Epic is the bike I can ride technical terrain faster than at any time in my career, so that’s a good feeling.
I have some great memories racing the old bikes all over the World but they are primitive in comparison to the new technology."[/i]

Other celebrities have confirmed their coming :
- Gary Fisher,
- Joe Breeze,
- Hans Rey (during the event he will celebrate its 25 year career)

Program

The Race of Legends
Champions will roll on the original track.
On the starting line to find big names like Ned Overend, Joe Murray, Joe Breeze, Charles R Kelly, Tom Ritchey, Steve Potts, Kent Eriksen, Jacquie Phelan, Mary Lee Hatkins and for Frenchies, Jacques Devi, Christian Taillefer, George Edwards, Stephane Hauvette, Michael Forest, Nicolas Vouilloz, Momo, Dola Francois, Francois Gachet, Jean Billion, Christian Guillet ...

The hike of 25 years
Open to all, it will borrow much of the original course for the enjoyment of participants.
For the first start "Old school":
Be dressed as in 80's/90's
Bike : maximum 8 speed cassette, no V-brakes or discs (except models before 1995).

The Museum of mountain biking
More than a hundred bikes, equipment and mountain bikes on which the present champions have won their best titles.
You can explore the evolution of mountain biking in the years 80/90 as a historic commented.
A photo exhibition on the championships of 1987 and the early hours of mountain biking.

Ceremony for launch of "French Hall of Fame
Launch of "French Hall of Fame" to reward and highlight all the personalities of French mountain bike, or less known. The evening will be open to all, with facilitator, awards ceremony, buffet (hot and cold drinks) and archive screening. A lot of emotion in perspective.

Show trial "Oldschool vs. Newschool" and Limbo contest
Hans Rey will be present, and other trialists at the time.
Entertainment side we will find the famous Limbo contest!

Registrations are open here