15 Dec VOLT-AGE, THE 6-HOUR E-MTB OF FINALE: FORMAT, RACE COURSE AND REGISTRATION DETAILS

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On Friday 18 May, at 17:00, the first edition of Volt-Age, a new endurance competition dedicated to pedal-assisted mountain bikes, will kick off on the Plateau of Le Manie.

In school we were taught that ‘volts’ measure the difference of potential between two elements. If we apply the same concept to the world of mountain bikers, it means we can make the most of the different potential of all riders – experts and beginners, nice and less nice, stylish and out of fashion – and generate a positive energy; the same energy that will charge our batteries up and on which a really electrifying event will run.

Volt-Age just aims at being a great sharing experience in the saddle of the e-bike, a machine able to make very different riders balance out, having fun and experiencing great emotions over a same race track, just like the 24H of Finale has always been doing.

But what is the format going to be and how will the event work?

Basically the format of the 6-hour endurance will mirror the one of the 24H of Finale.

So, the event will consist of a relay race where each team will try to cover the greatest number of laps over the same circular route, one team member at a time.

The race course, specifically designed for E-MTB riding, will overlap with the loop of the 24H of Finale only to a minimal extent. Most of the track is going to be totally new and unique, to such a point that it has amazed even the first riders who found it, during their route scouting.

It is made up of ancient, re-discovered, trails that will constitute the first permanent loop, in Finale’s region, specifically dedicated to pedal-assisted bikes. Right on Le Manie, where it all started 20 years ago thanks to the 24H of Finale.

With respect to the format, the new event will only be open to TEAMS of 3 riders. A Parc Fermé will also be established, where the three bikes of each team will remain from the time at which the race begins until the end of the race, while not racing, without the possibility of charging the batteries.

There is a technical reason for this, and it also introduces a new element to the race: the strategy.

As a matter of fact, together with the race track, the only other element not subject to change is the amount of charge that each team will have available for their machines. 

It will be important for each rider to make a good call regarding the assistance level provided by the motor of their E-MTB; enjoying without overusing it, not to run out of charge and be left with tired legs during the final part of the race.

Some technical assistance will be provided by a permanent station located within the Parc Fermé.

VoltAge will share many features with the classic 24H of Finale and, even if it lasts 6 hours ‘only’ – with start time at 17:00 and finish time at 23:00 – it will enjoy many of the elements of the longer event, such as the  change of light moving from the sunset into the night. 

Still to be discovered the effect on the electronics of the great flow of energy that the riders will experience while riding through the Toboga Stadium, where enthusiasts will be “warming up their engines” and preparing for 24H of Finale, that will kick off the following day. 

Registration for VoltAge is already open on the 24H of Finale website: just put together a 3-rider TEAM with your friends and join us for this new piece of Finale’s history… to be continued

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