Far from the spotlight but always on the trails, they maintain, secure, and shape the tracks all summer long. Somewhere between ski patroller, first responder, and trail craftsman, they work by hand, on the slopes, and often under the radar.
We met Jonathan and Jérémie, two key figures of the team, to talk about passion, rocks, and legendary descents.
Hi! To start, who are you guys?
Jonathan: My name’s Jonathan Duvillard, I’ve been in charge of the La Clusaz Bike Park since 2012. I manage a team of 5 Bike Patrols. There are 6 of us total, including Jérémie here next to me.
Jérémie: Jérémie Marchand. I’ve been a bike patrol for about ten years now, and a ski patroller/first responder for almost twenty years. Two passion jobs. It’s great.
Are you both ski patrollers in winter too?
Jonathan: Yes, but it’s less physically demanding than summer.
Jérémie: On the other hand, I have more responsibilities in winter. But I like this switch, with a little break between the two seasons.
Are you both from La Clusaz?
Jonathan: No, I’m half Breton, half Savoyard.
Jérémie: And I’m from Lyon, but I used to come here all the time as a kid — my grandfather had an apartment in La Clusaz.
What’s a typical day as a Bike Patrol like?
Jonathan: The best one? When the whole team is together. We go out to reshape an enduro trail, sometimes we’re in a creation phase, deciding together on the line, the turns, the jumps. We work well, we move fast, and above all we enjoy it.
And what’s the path to becoming a bike patrol?
Jonathan: There’s a 15-day training course at the IFV (Institut de Formation du Vélo — Bike Training Institute), with a final exam. It covers legislation, rescue, shaping techniques, drainage, building features… It’s a passion job. Very physical, but hugely rewarding.
Is there a trail that drives you crazy?
Jonathan: La Ferriaz, definitely. Steep slope, rocks, roots, erosion, water that’s hard to manage. We clean it up, and a week later it looks like a truck dumped a quarry into it. It’s thankless.
Jérémie: And on top of that, we can’t get a mechanical digger in there like we’d want to. It’s too hard to access. Once you’re committed, you’re in it all the way to the bottom.
What are you proudest of?
Jonathan: The enduro trails. The first one dates back to 2013, the Encarnes. Today we get feedback from world-class riders. Everything’s done by hand, no machines.
Jérémie: Shovel, pickaxe, rake, chainsaw. And zero trees cut down — we work around them. We adapt to the terrain.
Isn’t it frustrating when people ride a trail before it’s officially open?
Jonathan: No, quite the opposite. People see the work, they thank us. And when a trail’s just been freshly shaped, it’s like velvet. People talk about it like a powder day… in mountain bike form.
What makes La Clusaz unique for mountain biking?
Jonathan: Our enduro product. It’s a mix between enduro and downhill, well-shaped, not just a random trail. It’s a real house concept.
Jérémie: We sometimes call it “endurache” or “soft DH.” It’s a hybrid format you won’t find anywhere else.
If you had to work somewhere else, where would you go?
Jonathan: Canada.
Jérémie: Same. But we love La Clusaz, you know!
What’s your team like?
Jonathan: We’re a real bunch of mates. This year we’re really tight-knit. Théo joined us, and he fit right in immediately.
Jérémie: If the vibe isn’t good, it just can’t work in this job. Right now, it clicks.
Any hopes for the future of the bike park?
Jonathan: We need to think big. The future is real mountain bike development across the whole Aravis area: La Clusaz, Manigod, Le Grand-Bornand, Saint-Jean-de-Sixt. Connecting it all like the Portes du Soleil.
Jérémie: We’re working on it as a team. But between trails closing and terrain constraints, it’s not simple. We keep improving what already exists.
Do you keep an eye on what other resorts’ bike patrols are doing?
Jonathan: Yes, we know the Les Saisies team well, for example. We talk, sometimes we ride together.
Jérémie: But we’re still missing a real “Bike Patrol Congress,” right? (laughs)
One “what the hell” story to finish?
Jonathan: The day Sam Hill and Fabien Barel showed up on our trail with Kilian Bron. They were testing Mavic wheels. Perfect conditions. We watched them absolutely send it down the Encarnes. A moment out of time.
Jérémie: Yeah, we were moved. We just thought: “Okay, we’ve really done something crazy here.”
