This past weekend XTERRA France took place in Gérardmer, France and wow does that look like an event that ought to be on a bucket list. Stunning scenery, custom built ramps and trestles plus plenty of mud, blue skies and sun. That is what about 1,000 athletes got to experience. Enjoy the pictures and then book your ticket for next year.

All images © Triathlon de Gérardmer

This is just one of the waves who took part in the 2014 XTERRA France.

We are not sure what makes an XTERRA race a very busy event, but that is surely a lot of bodies.

Some quiet and anxious moments before the start of this orange cap wave.

It is time to churn the water.

Ruben Ruzafa has been very strong and here he leads through a wooded section.

Braden Currie from New Zealand was working very hard.

Someone surely took their time to set this up. God times for the athletes plus it likely protects the surface area too.

And the athletes keep coming and coming.

What goes up, must come down, and that is certainly true here too.

What may have been fun for some likely felt very challenging to others.

There were of course plenty of wooded sections, and drafting is certainly legal in these places.

Despite all the wooden boards, there were plenty of sections to get very muddy.

Plus falling down was not out of the question either.

There were plenty of muddy steeds back in transition after the bike segment.

Asa Shaw shows the signs of a very muddy day in France.

The landscape is certainly quite beautiful and inspiring.

Ben Allen on the way to 6th place at XTERRA France

These cambered sections are very tricky to negotiate even in dry conditions.

The happy champion Ruben Ruzafa.

German Kathrin Müller took the women's title.