The fifth edition of the Beau Vallon MTB Challenge took place over the weekend of May 13-14 in Riche-en-Eau. Over 200 riders in all categories took part in this competition organized by the Compagnie de Beau Vallon Limitée. This mountain bike competition gave amateurs and professionals alike the chance to explore the south-east of the island.
After hours of sweat and effort, it was Alexandre Mayer in the men’s category and Aurélie Halbwachs in the women’s category who came out on top in the Elites category (16 to 39 years). Giovanni Gonthier, from Reunion Island, and Nadine Van Rensburg took first place in the Masters 2 category (40-49 years), while Christophe Harel and Valérie Gérard won the Masters 3 category (over 50 years). Mark Kirkby won the Buffalo category (+90kg).
The second attempt was the right one for Alexandre Mayer: “It’s a course and a format that I already knew, having taken part in it three years ago. I’m delighted to be back on the circuit. It’s true that we’re in Beau Vallon where it rains a lot. The mud has caused a lot of problems. But what I like about this competition is that it respects the true spirit of mountain biking. I’m now going to concentrate on the other competitions, in particular the African championships.”
Aurélie Halbwachs doesn’t hide her satisfaction either: “It wasn’t a difficult course, but as we’re in Riche-en-Eau, there’s rain. This race takes place over three stages in 26 hours. You need stamina. When I commit, I go all the way.” She also spoke about the participation of women in these races. “For there to be more women, they need to be encouraged and supervised from a very early age. We need structures to detect, support, mentor and retain female talent.”
For Thierry Merven, CEO of Compagnie de Beau Vallon Limitée, the competition is in line with the company’s vision: “We want to develop a leisure centre that draws on the estate’s many assets, including waterways, mountains, agricultural areas and unspoilt landscapes, not to mention the immense Pointe d’Esny-Mahébourg lagoon and the estate’s historic heritage. To preserve the beauty and authenticity of this region, our activities will focus on ecotourism and non-motorized leisure activities, such as mountain biking, trail riding, discovery tours, river descents and non-motorized water sports. These activities will complement our tourism and land development activities in the region and will also help to meet the growing demand for sports and nature activities on the island, whether for thrill-seekers or family outings.”
The Beau Vallon MTB Challenge remains an eco-responsible sporting event highlighting the natural beauty of the south-east of the island while encouraging the practice of a sport.
Winners’ tables:
| Elites Hommes | Elites Femmes | ||
| 1. | Alexandre Mayer | 1. | Aurélie Halbwachs |
| 2. | Yannick Lincoln | 2. | Camille Chasteau |
| 3. | William Piat | ||
| Masters 2 Hommes | Masters 2 Femmes | ||
| 1. | Giovanni Gonthier | 1. | Nadine Van Rensburg |
| 2. | Romain Bayol | 2. | Stéphanie Domaingue |
| 3. | Lebon Dominique | ||
| Masters 3 Hommes | Masters 3 femmes | ||
| 1. | Christophe Harel | 1. | Valérie Gérard |
