TOP TRAILS | INSIDE UTCAM
Now ten years old, the Ultra Trail Côte d’Azur Mercantour has become an unmissable race in the region, bringing athletes from across Europe and as far away as Venezuela and Singapore to where the Alps dip their toes into the sparkling Mediterranean Sea. With distances ranging from a 5km vertical race all the way up to the SkyUltra 75km and 125km solo or in pairs, it offers experiences for everyone from the amateur to the expert.
Café du Cycliste partners with the event, so we sent our athletes Tom Laurent and Anouche Richalet (@anomadventures on Instagram) to represent our Forever Outsiders spirit over the 30km distance.
The race starts very quickly – perhaps a little too quickly – but that’s all part of the adventure. The pair pulls back and settles into their own pace. The first climb is technical, and an unseasonal rain and cold stings the ends of their noses. Anouche loses feeling in her fingers, but they are not discouraged, and persevere.
From the 2,674-metre summit of Mont Pépoiri there are 12 kilometres of descent. It’s a real thrill, even if Tom later admits it killed his quads! In this edition there’s a little sting in the tail: a few kilometres from the line, racers are faced with another little climb. It’s unexpected, and doesn’t go down too well with Tom!
After the effort: relaxation. Home-made gnocchi and a cold beer await the participants. It’s time for each to look back and share how the race went.
Tom and Anouche are happy, and sore, and a little surprised at how they did: “It’s given us more confidence about our trail-running capabilities,” says Tom.
