6h49 - SANTACRUZ BICYCLES

Monviso marks an important point of the Southern Alps. The imposing 3,841-metre giant stands over 500m higher than any other peak surrounding it. It’s this prominence that gives it its name. Monviso translates to ‘the mountain clearly visible (from everywhere)’. It sits inside Italy but overlooks France, a meeting place not just for borders but also for people, communities and commerce. The trails that flank this mountain mark the passage of traders and even armies that stretch back thousands of years. Today the mountain’s routes are mainly trodden by hikers who take 3-4 days to circumnavigate the mighty Stone King. But 21-year old Glenn MacArther, who lives in the shadow of the mountain, wanted to establish a benchmark for traversing it on a mountain bike. He succeeded. 52.9km route length 3,183m of ascending 6 hours 49 minutes October 31st, 2022 The Italian nickname for the mountain is The Stone King, which also inspired the name for the multi-day mountain bike event, The Stone King Rally, which winds through the region surrounding this peak. At times the Giro del Viso passes within a few hundred metres of the 2022 Stone King Rally route.

Created by Jules Bellot