After two days of intense and frenetic physical activity that not only introduced the teams to the marvels of the Savoie Mont Blanc region but also exacted a tremendous toll on the muscles, sinews and morale of the athletes, it was perhaps time for something a little more cerebral.

The nature of the MXR is such that there is rarely, if ever, any respite for the teams, especially among those pushing for the top spots in the ranking and the absence of any timed activities other than all out racing makes success a function of pure speed and technical ability. This combination comes in many forms and varying proportions, not least of which is the meticulous and concentrated effort required to move rapidly and safely over a rock face. This is where today's rope works comes in.

At 07:00 this morning, The Saab Salomon Mountain-X Race was split down the middle with half the teams heading South from Thones to the Magland Canyon, where they engaged in a purely recreational, though no less technically demanding, canyoning section. For a distance of 2km, they rappelled and tobogganed their way down the icy cataracts of the Montmin River, dropping a total of 285m in all. As it is against the law in France to use canyoning as a competitive event, this section was un-timed and provided a refreshing change from the scorching endeavors of the
first two days.

The second group headed North to the magnificent rocky outcrops that crown the Col de la Colombiere, a regular passage on the Tour de France, where the teams climbed a splendid, partially-timed, via ferrata that coiled over 2.5km and 500m elevation gain up and around the soaring Pic de Jallouvre. Once off the snaking ladders, the teams sauntered across the mountain face to the next activity, an exciting, vertical sprint climb up the sheer rock face. The goal here was to get up as fast as possible then have fun coming down. As anodyne as this stage might appear to some, many among the top teams were predicting that these relatively short sections could have a major, if not decisive, impact on the outcome of the race.

The other crucial element of the day was the end of day trial run, a ferociously contested 13km up and around the steep slopes surrounding the Megeve resort. Once again, ROC AMADOUR (ESP) proved the fastest with the indefatigable Josh MIDDAUGH (USA) chasing close behind.

Thanks to a third fastest time on the ropes and a grouped finish on the trail at 8th, 9th and 10th, SAAB SALOMON (GBR) carried the day again and will keep the yellow jersey. QUECHUA - COMPAGNIE DES ALPES 1 (FRA) move into second place overall thanks mainly to a stellar
performance on the ropes.

Tomorrow, the rapid running waters of the Arve and Giffre await with three canoeing sections that will test the team's nautical capacities to the full.