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This weeks ‘very’ brief is out ! Tour de L'Avenir is on its way to our region PLUS Natalie Portman is also heading to the Alps so I;ve stuck my name down to be an extra! He who dares Rodney! 🚴 | BreatheBike Brief #5

Want to Be in a Movie With Natalie Portman? 🚴 | BreatheBike Brief #5 This week’s BreatheBike Brief has a bit of everything — from a new ...

No it wasn't to watch the eclipse last night! The Brief is out. https://youtu.be/rg04VBoFYqg

What is it? Click over to YouTube https://youtu.be/VW6IjwmbvCc

In a recent video on our YouTube channel I mentioned the potential clash of the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (Chamonix) specifically with the road race events in nearby Domancy / Sallanches.

Fast forward just 3 days and the new Mayor of Chamonix has started the discussion around the future of the UTMB and its a timely reminder of what happens when a world-class event arrives in a mountain town.

We've all seen the pressure UTMB puts on the Chamonix Valley every August – accommodation sells out, roads are busy, restaurants are packed, and the whole valley operates very differently for that week. It's become such a significant issue that Chamonix are considering introducing measures to reduce the impact of the event and the pressure it creates

We see this every time the Tour de France arrives in Bourg d'Oisans and Alpe d'Huez. Its often challenging to explain to Tour de France newbie visitor the additional impact on journey times and infrastructure. The penny drops when a journey that should take 90 mins takes 4 hours with 2 hours to cover just 10kms! Everything is booked months in advance, campsites overflow, and many visitors end up staying well outside the valley and commuting on race day.

The 2027 Worlds will attract thousands of riders, families, support crews, media and spectators from around the world. Accommodation close to the start and finish areas is likely to disappear very quickly. Especially if the UTMB sticks to its dates.

This isn't intended to create panic—it's simply how major international events affect small mountain destinations.

Here's the full article in L'Equipe https://www.lequipe.fr/Ultra-trail/Actualites/Francois-xavier-laffin-nouveau-maire-de-chamonix-une-grande-majorite-des-chamoniards-honnissent-l-utmb/1704846?utm_source=chatgpt.com and here is a summary in English

"Une grande majorité des Chamoniards honnissent l'UTMB."
("A large majority of Chamonix residents now loathe the UTMB.")
"On ne peut plus laisser faire, ni rendre invivable notre ville pour ses habitants."
("We can no longer allow this, nor make our town unliveable for its residents.")
He says residents feel excluded from their own town, unable to work normally, unable to sleep because finishers arrive throughout the night, and even prevented from leaving their own garages by volunteer marshals.
For future editions he wants:
a smaller expo ("brand village"),
fewer races,
fewer runners through protected nature reserves,
reduced night racing,
and even measures to limit spectator numbers because the valley cannot comfortably accommodate everyone.

François-Xavier Laffin, nouveau maire de Chamonix : « Une grande majorité des Chamoniards honnissent l'UTMB » Élu maire de Chamonix au printemps, François-Xavier Laffin nous dévoile les modifications qu'il va apporter dès la prochaine édition de l'UTMB, organisée du 24 au 30 août, mais aussi les évolutions qu'il souhaite mettre en place pour les prochaines éditions afin de renouer la relation entre...