Mont Blanc is Challenging Ride For Mountain Bikes
The Mont Black three countries tour can be arduous on riders, and even tougher on their mountain bikes. The tour spans a total of 166 km, which is often divided by tour organizers into 35km sections over a five day period. It takes riders up and over mountain peaks and troughs that equal 9,400 vertical meters of ascent.
On paper, that sounds tough enough, but riders need to be sure they are in top physical shape to tackle it successfully on the ground. Many riders who attempt this tour are professionals or just hardcore mountain bike fanatics. From the starting point of Chamonix in France, the tour heads north to Switzerland before looping back into Italy's Courmayeur valley. From there mountain passes and valleys lead back to Chamonix. Three ski lifts are used as ascent aids, but otherwise it is all human effort.