RESUME VIDEO korrespondierte bei jedem Tritt mit dem Kraftaufbau der Beine, fast wie ein zusätzlicher Muskel. Bei der Gipfelankunft packte Christian, der Fahrer, der uns zu Fuß gefolgt ist, sein Gebirgspicknick aus. Etwas Gebäck und ein Savoyanischer Weißwein, natürlich eisgekühlt. Der Blick auf den Lac Majeur und den Lac Blanc See sowie auf den Saint Sorlin Gletscher mit seinem Gipfel L’ETENDARD (3.464 m) waren trotz Wein ungetrübt. Nach Überquerung einiger Schneefelder begaben wir uns wieder auf die Abfahrt. Diesmal fuhren wir etwas breitere Wanderwege hinab, um es richtig krachen zu lassen. Das Argon FR mit einer 150 mm Federgabel und entsprechender All Mountain Geometrie lag satt auf der Piste, und im Nu waren die knapp 1000 Höhenmeter zum Ausgangspunkt der Tour wieder vernichtet. Mein Dank für diese unvergessliche Tour gehen an David MORELON, den Tourenführer, an Christian DIDIER, den Fahrer des Geländewagens und an Isabelle ARBUZ, die Direktorin des Tourismusbüros der Region Les Sybelles. Mit dem Argon FR-CD habe ich das perfekte Gefährt für meine Bergtouren gefunden. Und der Traum von der Mont Blanc Tour ist immer noch präsent. Mal sehen ob wir 2011 zusammen hochfahren können.“ Euer Georges Georges Bigoni, father of our downhill team rider Joris, told us about his dream. He wanted to cycle around Mont Blanc as he had done 20 years ago. This adventure sounded interesting to us, too, and so we provided him with a bike: The Argon FR with GATES Carbondrive belt drive and a Rohloff 14 gear internal-gear hub. This combination seemed to be technically ideal for the tour. The Rohloff hub guarantees minimal risk of a failure on the drive. Moreover, the Argon FR is a light All Mountain Hardtail that not only has the usual climbing properties but also offers the possibility of riding longer fork travels, thus increasing fun and security for every rider on downhill runs in the Alps. Last but not least, the GATES Carbondrive belt drive is light, quiet and – what we wanted to demonstrate – stable under the highest pedal pressure. „Heavy snowfall in May put paid to our plans. Mont Blanc was buried under snow for the rest of the summer, making a tour even in mid July both impossible for the bike as well as by car for the photo and video crew. However, during our stay at Megavalanche in Alpe d’Huez we discovered by chance the region ‘Les Sybelles’ with its distinctive trident-like mountain peaks. Exploring the area, we were asked by a local first about the extraordinary bike and then about the crew with the cameras. The chap turned out to be from the tourist office in Saint Sorlin d’Arves and immediately made us welcome. He offered to be our tour guide and arranged a 4-wheel-drive vehicle for the crew. We were sliding from a random discovery into an unforgettable adventure. The starting point of our tour was the famous Col de la Croix de Fer (Pass of the Iron Cross) at 2,068 metres above sea level it is situated between the Massif de Grande Rousses and the Massif d’Arves and should be well known to all passionate cyclists for having featured in the Tour de France fifteen times. We started the tour with the camera crew in tow. Our way led us past a crystal- clear mountain lake where the mountain peaks were reflected in the water. Smoothly the Argon FR went along the narrow single trails, up and downhill. The ascents over the scree and big rocky steps were not only exhausting but also technically challenging. Here we would have already lost a derailleur at some rocky sections; one begins to appreciate the advantages of a hub gear. The GATES Carbondrive drive did its job and was good fun to pedal. The feeling of lightness and smoothness is incredible. Smooth is different from soft. A good push in the pedals is transformed into propulsion without the typical “teeth- mesh-with-the-chain-links” noise. Acceleration happens immediately but as smoothly as a tense muscle fibre.