That said, I really want to ride France now. Les 2 Alpes sounds awesome. Crabapple hits are the reason I rock a 42t.
Hmm "Les 2 Alpes" is a funny place to ride but only for 1 or 2 days. The trails are almost the same. Fast, berm, no jumps (or just a few), no technical trails but the worst thing is braking bumps. If you ride Les 2 Alpes in july or August you have braking bumps everywhere. And it's reals braking bumps, not like the tiny braking bumps in Whistler. the trails are not maintened (or very rarely) during the riding season so I let you imagine.
For example the best trail in "Les 2 Alpes" is called the Venosc Trail. It's a 700m vertical trail in only 3 Kms. It's like straight with braking bumps, Berm, straight, berm etc etc… And the berm are all the same. When you know how to ride 1 or 2 berm, you know how to ride all the Berms of this trail.
If you want, you ca check my website at tis address to see some photos of "Les 2 Alpes resort": http://vttfreeride.blog-dracenie.org/images/2006/Freeraid/Page.html
Anyway, if you ride one day in this area, try to go in the next door resort "L'Alpe d'Huez" (only 45min drive from Les 2 Alpes). It's less artificial but the trails are awesome and you start your ride on a Glacier at 3300m high and finish at 700m high after a 22Kms downhill. I know that the guys from the WTB Santa Cruz were in L'Alpe d'Huez last summer and they like so much the riding.
Anyway if you xant to ride in france, tell me, I know very well this 2 resorts (and the South of France of course).