Transriviera – May 7, 2023 – Menton, France

The season starts early this year, which makes sense given the warm winter that was terrible for skiers but a blessing for all cyclists and mountain bikers. On May 7th, the shy but quaint town of Menton will host the annual Transriviera Extreme Cross Country race. Thousands of professional and semi-professional drivers flock to the French Riviera to enjoy the moderate temperatures and the first hot spring days. This fantastic race gives you a glimpse of the stunning Tende Mountains and takes you straight to Menton Beach.

You can choose between 80 and 45 km races. The longer one takes you from the top of Tende to Menton Beach through scenic forests and breathtaking views of the French coast. Throughout the journey you can enjoy the mesmerizing turquoise waters of the Mediterranean Sea bathed in the spring sun.

The e-bike event starts at 9am, so e-riders should be there an hour and 15 minutes early to check in their batteries and do a preliminary bike check. Only two batteries are allowed for this challenge, so you must show both your bike and the battery. The trail is amazing with hilly and steep singletrack sections. This race is definitely not for beginners, but intermediate riders who don’t want to compete for the top spots will manage to make it down the track.

If you prefer a more relaxed version of the same race, just join the 45km competition that starts halfway in Breil sur Roya, avoiding the most technical descents. But no worry. The bottom half is just as entertaining and takes you through some amazing locations on your way to Menton.

The sad news is that last year’s devastating Storm Alex decimated much of the area and local hotels are still not fully recovered. So if you want to join Transriviera, book your accommodation now. If this adventure sounds like the perfect spring break, here’s everything you need to know.

Bordeaux-Paris – May 27, 2023 – Bordeaux, France

This event is a real test of your endurance. The 650km race across France from Bordeaux to Paris will exhaust your mind, body and soul, but if you manage to finish it within the 40 hour limit you will have something to spend your whole life with can brag for a long time. During the ride you overcome 5,600 meters in altitude and can enjoy three refreshment stations. Keep in mind, however, that your €250 entry fee does not cover accommodation and changing or recharging the battery. So you need to plan accordingly when you start this journey. On the other hand, with only 40 hours to go to the end of the 650km race, you have to be driving at an average speed of 16.25km/h, so you don’t really need accommodation during the ride.

Scheduled for May 27th, 2023, this magnificent event that will challenge your whole body will take you through the scenic French countryside. The e-bike start takes place directly after the six regular bike groups. Make sure you get there a few days early as you will need to take your bib number with you the day before the event. It’s also generally a good idea to enjoy Bordeaux for several days. The city deserves your attention.

Megève Mont-Blanc Cycling – June 11, 2023 – Megève, France

If 650 km sounds like too much for you, a better alternative would be to just wait until June 11 and join the Megève Mont-Blanc Cycling. This challenge takes you to the French Alps, where you will prove yourself in front of the highest peak in the Alps – Mont Blanc. But no worry. Despite the name, the route doesn’t take you over the famous peak itself, instead circling the valley below with occasional detours through the mountains. Although the race isn’t particularly tough, you still need to do at least some preparation as the 80km course offers you over 2.2km of climbing.

The organizers arranged two petrol stations along the route and some nice perks at the start/finish line at the Palais des Sports in Megève.

The race starts at 20:00 on June 11, but be there a day early to collect your race number. At the finish line you can enjoy a hot shower and a warm meal, and if you finish before 12:10 p.m. you will also receive a medal. Of course there are additional prizes if you are among the fastest on the route.

Vätternrundan – June 10, 2023 – Motala, Sweden

If climbing 2km in a single race isn’t your thing, but you still want to take part in an endurance race with your e-bike in early June, you should check out Vätternrundan. The Swedish race became an annual tradition and its popularity grew by the day. Last year 450 riders joined the fun. This year, the organizational community expects more than 500 participants.

The starting point is a small town between two beautiful lakes called Motala, and while the town is beautiful in its own right, the race takes you through some truly stunning locations that might make you forget you’re actually in a competition. Then, just a few kilometers south, all cyclists pass through the picturesque medieval town of Vadstena. From there it only gets better. Next, the path leads through the Omberg (which is actually only 170m high, so don’t get too excited). Finally, after you’re done with the short climb, you’ll have the option to drive along the stunning Lake Vättern and pass through some other medieval towns before returning to Motala.

The entrance fee is comparatively high and is around 62 euros. Still, you’re in one of the most expensive countries in Europe, so that shouldn’t come as a surprise. Drivers should remember that only one battery with only one charge is allowed. This means that while the track is not very technical in terms of driving, battery control decides on winners and losers.

All Around e-MTB – June 28 – July 2, 2023 – Aosta, Italy

All Around e-MTB is the first event of the year dedicated exclusively to e-bikes. The race takes place in the Italian Alps starting in Aosta. The program consists of two stages – a 5-stage race with 230 km of mesmerizing and exhilarating high mountain routes and a 2-stage race with only 95 km of breathtaking views and bloodthirsty mountain routes. It starts in Antey and includes the final two stages of the longer race. The All Around 200 will include a total of 9,650m of uphill and more than 10km of downhill, while those riding the All Around 100 will only enjoy around 3.5km of uphill and downhill.

The route is by no means easy, although there will be open registration for non-professionals. Riders should keep in mind that they only get one battery charge for the first two stages. That means they have to manage their battery pretty well if they want to reach the end of the stage. During stages 3 and 4 there are charging stations in the middle but you need to organize your own charging equipment if you want to charge your battery there.

The longer race will start on June 28th, 2023, the short one on June 1st.

Verbier E-Bike Festival – 10th-13th August – Verbier, Switzerland – E-Bike World Tour

Finally, we come to the crème de la crème of eMTB racing. The most prestigious e-bike event of the year takes place in the city of Verbier, well-known on the cycling scene. The festival lasts five days, from August 10th to 15th, and hosts several high-profile e-bike events. All guests, regardless of whether they want to race, have the opportunity to enjoy Swiss mountain bike life. You can enjoy e-bike reviews from more than 30 manufacturers. Or join one of several gourmet tours that will take you to neighboring villages to sample the most delicious local cuisine. Or they simply enjoy one of the countless trails in the surrounding mountains.

For those looking to race, there are three prestigious events:

The Défi de Val de Bagnes is a race for amateurs who enjoy mountain biking in their free time. There are two trails to choose from – an easy to moderate 60km ride or a 100km route with more challenging terrain that will require a bit more technique to complete the challenge.

If you feel more confident in your skills, you might want to try the Bosch eMTB Challenge. This race will test your driving, navigation and battery management skills as well as your endurance. The race will take place on August 14th with start and finish in Verbier. The track is 35 km long and you can choose between red and black slopes. This is a great challenge for advanced riders who want to test their skills in racing conditions.

The highlight of this festival is one of the most exciting events of the E-MTB year – the E-Tour du Mont-Blanc. Needless to say, this event is for very experienced drivers only. This three-day race covers 250 km of high-alpine trails. Riders will climb more than 9,000 meters and descend more than 10,000. This is the place to put your skills to the test against some of the best drivers from around the world.

The whole festival is one spectacular celebration of e-biking and if you are interested in the sport and only have one event planned for the year, this should be it.

There you have it

You may have noticed that some of the events are missing from the 2022 calendar. Especially the French and Austrian events from the E-Bike World Tour calendar. We know them well, but at the time of writing this article, they hadn’t announced the dates yet, so we couldn’t add them here. However, if these are your favorites, keep a closer eye on them. They are usually in the beginning and last third of July.