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T he world's fastest hill- climbers gathered in Decazeville, France, to compete in the most prestigious internation- al hillclimb event of the year - the Montee Impossible Hillclimbing World Trophy. It's a two-day tor- ture test of man and machine, all chasing after the coveted World Trophy and an impressive $50,000 in prize money. North America sent eight riders from the N.A.H.A. (North American Hillclimbers Asso- ciation) Racer X/Suzuki Pro Hill- climb Series to represent the Unit- ed States and Canada. The massive team was managed by five-time Hillclimb Wo r l d c h a m p Ke r r y Peterson, and things couldn't have been more intense. France held its National Championship during Saturday 's events, which determined which five riders would represent the host nation. None of the 40 riders man- aged to make it over the hill dubbed the Montee Impossible (Impossible Mountain) and it was easy to see why. It was so treacherous that the promoter reworked some of the course before Sunday to make it less dangerous and more thrilling for spectators. After all, this is a sport full of exotic 200-horsepower, nitro-burning multicylinder mon- sters, most of which use some type of steel paddle tire or bolts protrud- ing out of the rear wheel to provide increased traction. Some of the biggest machines tip the scales at over 700 pounds, so mistakes can be extremely costly. Riders competing in the World Trophy were allowed five runs instead of the usual two on the American circuit. Twenty-year-old Jason Smith from Salt Lake City, Utah rode his 800cc nitro-burning Yamaha to win the event and the $12,000 first-place prize. He was one of four riders who actually conquered the 550-foot hill, and he did so in 21.40 seconds. Frenchman Stephane Pierrel came in second with an impressive 25.3- second time. The French and Americans used two completely different techniques and bike setups, and both suffered equally on what could best be described as an uphill Supercross track with big-block Chevrolet-size boulders at the top. The Americans tend to go for skinnier rear wheels and arm-jerking power, while the French use 14-18-inch-wide car tires at the rear so they can run pro- truding carriage bolts. This is a seemingly odd setup, especially since they are run without any air, but they are obviously very effec- tive. Pierrel torqued his way to the top of the climb, and actually stopped for a few seconds on the 77-degree incline before resuming in trials-riderlike fashion. American Jeff Thomas from Indianapolis claimed third after muscling his way over during his fourth attempt. Thomas had to borrow Smith's bike to make the run after his transmission failed on his first attempt. Things became a little tense around the Team USA pits after one of the only five bikes the North American riders brought was eliminated. The eight riders were left to share four bikes, and nervously watched as the machines repeatedly tumbled down the hill. Frenchman Herve Poirot was the only other rider to make it over the top and stopped the clock at 31.82 seconds. He edged out for- mer champ Travis Whitlock who was fifth after climbing 159.12 meters on his KTM, which was suf- fering with problems on its NOS system. Whitlock, an American, is actually best known in France as the rider who scored the largest-ever bounty in professional hillclimb competition. On his 21st birthday in 1990, Whitlock was the first to conquer a hill in Arrete that had not been topped in five years. Each year the promoter added money to the bounty, and Whitlock walked away with a cool $60,100 on his last run of the day. Unfortunately, Whitlock had no such luck in France this time, but he did contribute heavily to a Team USA victory. Aside from Smith and Whitlock, the American contingent included Robie Peterson (8th), Dave Watson (10th) and Bret Peterson (12th). Bret Peterson also topped the inau- gural stock class, making it a clean sweep for the United States. "This was a really good event," said Smith of the biggest win of his career, "I'm actually surprised that a few of us got over the top. It was really ugly up there, and pictures don't do it justice at all. There were something like 10,000 spec- tators, and I know we put on a really good show." "I'm really proud of the entire team," team manager Kerry Peterson said. "They all worked incredibly well together, and sup- ported one another the entire time. Montee Impossible Decazeville, France July 1-2, 2006 JULY 19, 2006 • C Y C L E N E W S 46 Mondial Montee Impossible Hillclimbing World Trophy American Jason Smith conquered the 550-foot Montee Impossible on an 800cc nitrous-powered Yamaha to claim first overall. STORY AND PHOTOS BY KEN FAUGHT