In as much as the track is challenging technically, it’s far from the impossible task that it can sometimes be described as. Its toughness is in the physicality: a four-minute arm wrestle. And therein lies part of the VDS mystery, how to limit the beating which the body takes over the four-day cycle of training and race runs?

A truly international field, it was the Italians who figured strongest in the classifications. But a cosmopolitan line-up of winners, with Czech racer Rostislav Stencel fighting it out with Britain’s Dave Wardell and New Zealander Nathan Rankin. Wardell, a pillar of British and World Cup downhill for almost two decades who was beaten into 2nd at Worlds ’99 in Are as a junior, while for Rankin it was 20 years since his junior appearance at Chateau d’Oex, Switzerland.

Ireland’s Michael Cowan was pushing the local Paolo Alleva in his class, along with Andrew Titley and Chris Whitfield (who also featured as one of GB’s top racers back in the Swiss Worlds on a prototype Orange bike). Jason Carpenter (Manon’s dad) was only a few seconds off podium in his class won by Spaniard Ramon Figueras Bernades.

The Italians dominated my class (50-54), and it too was full of characters: Jean Pierre Bruni and Claude Vergier just some of the names I’m sure you’ll recognise. In it too a man that has represented Britain incredibly well in previous years: former World Champion Alastair Maclennan, 5th on the day but carrying a recent injury.

Swiss racer Benoit Fellay took the 55-59 and in the 60-64 class a brand new face showed up, another Swiss rider, ex Paris Dakar racer Andreas Brunner in his first ever downhill race. This event has many such stories of bravery, madness and skill. Giovanna Bonazzi, who won pro women Worlds in 1993 in Metabief with names such as Missy Giove and Leigh Donovan, made a return to racing after last competing in Are 1999.

The banter was clearly off the charts for this one with tales of woe, broken bikes, bodies and derision playing centre stage as well as putting in punches from the side. Camaraderie, personal battles, settling old scores, this race had it all.