While the Shred crew were browsing the Roc d’Azur event village before tackling the 59km XC race, various professional types were taking on both Friday’s 100km marathon event and the Sunday XC. Cannondale-Vredestein’s Jakob Fuglsang had won the Danish national marathon championships the previous weekend, and lined up next to team-mate Fredrik Kessiakoff for the Roc marathon with just the odd 4,000 or so racers to beat.

Kessiakoff set the early pace, opening up a gap of two minutes on the field in the first 15km. But Fuglsang overhauled him at the 70km mark and went on to take the win. Kessiakoff held on for second place, maintaining a two minute gap over third placed Christoph Sauser, reigning marathon World Champion.

Kessiakoff also raced in the Sunday XC race, but lost time at the start in a crash. The winner was Jean-Christophe Peraud in an impressive 2:15:21 – two and a half hours than the Shred boys, but then we suspect that he didn’t take any photos on the way round. Second place went to Alban Lakata, third was Peter Riss Andersen and Kessiakoff came home fourth.

And we have to mention Arnaud Eyheramendy, who was the last rider to finish in 3,607th place having been out on the course for just under eight hours. Now that’s determination…