In The Artwork of Battle, Solar Tzu stated, “Within the midst of chaos, there may be additionally alternative.” It’s onerous to think about a extra exacting mindset than the next situation:
You’re standing on prime of a glacier within the French Alps. Between your legs sits a $10,000 mountain bike. You’re elbow to elbow with almost a thousand different adrenaline junkies, staring down a black-diamond ski slope coated in ice, rock, mud, and snow. In just some seconds, you’re going to bomb down that mountain at prime velocity—first one to the underside wins.
Welcome to the managed chaos referred to as the Megavalanche.
Now think about this: You’ve already received two. And on today, out of almost 1,000 excessive athletes, you win your third.
Meet Hugo Pigeon—excessive downhill mountain biking’s Mr. Olympia.
In Europe, Hugo is a rock star. Within the U.S., virtually nobody is aware of him. However in the event you’ve acquired even a single adrenaline receptor firing, this sport will suck you in. I first noticed a clip on YouTube from one other race, Mountain of Hell, the place a rider—not Hugo—began lifeless final, handed a thousand riders, and received. It was insane (Hugo positioned 2nd in that race, however he doesn’t acknowledge it, within the true ethos of Ricky Bobby, “in the event you’re not first, you’re final”).
In looking for that man, I came upon Hugo. His résumé was equally spectacular. The native of Annecy, France, had received the Megavalanche 3 times in a row—nobody else has ever performed that. This 12 months, his objective is to win each the Mountain of Hell and the Megavalanche in the identical season. One other crown nobody else wears.
If the objective is to point out you one thing insane you’ve by no means seen earlier than, that is the place we begin – on the prime.
Not Simply Quick, Hugo Pigeon ius Powerful as Nails
Every week after his newest Megavalanche win, Hugo entered a European Cup race. He crashed, landed on his hand, broke the bone proper beneath his thumb—and nonetheless received the race, hand screaming in ache.
“I broke my scaphoid,” he informed me, casually holding up his bandaged hand. That’s the bone your handlebar jams into. “It was actually painful… however I completed. Then I went to the X-ray.”
He paused, clocked my response, and laughed. “Sure, I’m an android.” In his thick French accent, it was hysterical.
Simply another day within the lifetime of a man who’s constructed totally different.
Hugo Pigeon Would possibly Truly Be an Android
Pigeon isn’t simply powerful—he’s elite-level conditioned.
Resting coronary heart price? Round 35 bpm. Race coronary heart price? Over 200 bpm—and he can maintain it there for 45 minutes straight. He trains 30–40 hours per week between the gymnasium, the highway, and brutal mountain terrain.
When requested about how he feels earlier than a race, he didn’t fake to be cool. “I’m scared,” he admitted. “The final hour, I’m nervous. However then I remind myself: I’ve performed this earlier than. I can do it once more.”
Then the horn blows, and he’s gone.
Fueling the Machine
This man doesn’t simply practice like a professional—he eats like one, too. Pigeon eats roughly 3,000 energy a day, break up into 4 meals relying on his time within the saddle that day. On days when he’s deep in coaching, his consumption turns into much more insane. “I attempt to eat 90 grams of carbs per hour on lengthy rides,” he says.
That’s not a typo. That’s how top-tier endurance athletes roll.
His staples: peanut butter, avocados, olive oil, clear protein, and complicated carbs. However throughout race prep, he cuts veggies and goes straight for gas.
He’s lean and dialed in: At 5’9″ and 141 kilos), Pigeon not a single gram of ineffective tissue occupies his shredded body.
His Bike Is Almost Indestructible as Properly
Pigeon rides a virtually $12,000 custom-built carbon fiber enduro beast. It options SR Suntour suspension and bombproof rims that may brake beneath Megavalanche situations.
“It’s just like what you should buy in a motorcycle store,” he says, “however cheaper bikes wouldn’t survive this. I’m not driving something you couldn’t purchase or construct—however it’s costly.”
Pretty much as good as his gear is, it nonetheless breaks, identical to riders, as he holds up his bandaged hand once more and cracks what has change into a really hearty and contagious smile.
The Subsequent Objective: Double Crown
Hugo’s already performed what nobody else has—received three Megavalanches in a row. Now he needs extra: win each Mountain of Hell and Megavalanche in the identical 12 months.
Nobody’s ever performed that.
He’s acquired six weeks to heal. The scaphoid will barely be mended. That bone sits proper the place the impression hits. And but?
“I’ll handle,” he says.
That’s why a quote from Solar Tzu turns into so related. “By no means combat a battle you can’t win.” It’s clear Hugo learn the ebook.
In terms of bombing down a glacier—both intact or with a shattered hand, the cash’s nonetheless on Grasp Pigeon.
