Round 3 / SKI MOUNTAINEERING - PLUM KV COURCHEVEL - Friday 17 February 2017

Plum KV Courchevel: the 40-minute barrier has fallen!

The weather is capricious this year at the Plum KV Courchevel. Although this Friday 17 February had started well with alternating sun and cloud, the start of this 3rd Vertical Kilometre (KV) round on ski touring equipment took place under a few drops of rain, which turned into flakes spiced with wind and fog as the climb went on. These conditions did not have too many adverse effects on the race of the 76 competitors. Proof of this: records fell!

3 members of the French ski mountaineering team monopolised the podium with, for the first time in ski mountaineering since the launch of this KV in 2015, a time under the 40-minute mark. To pull off such a feat, you had to be called Xavier Gachet. Reigning French Vertical Race champion and 3rd in the World Cup individual event stage this year in Andorra, Xavier Gachet took the provisional reference time for the current season in 39min57s. Also note his record in trail running on the same course since summer 2016 in 37min25s. Valentin Favre of team Plum took second place in 42min25s. Holder of the previous record for this climb in 40min05s, Mathéo Jacquemoud finished third in 43min05s.

In this competitive context, the fight will be fierce at the final on 17 March to take the grail!

Among the women, Corinne Favre set a new reference time in 51min59s. Catherine Juillaguet followed in 55min26s ahead of 2013 French trail running champion Stéphanie Duc in 55min48s.

Same observation as for the men: will the women go under the 50-minute mark this season? Answer on 17 March. Remember that only Axelle Mollaret achieved this performance in 2016 with a time of 49min17s.

In the ESF challenge, wins went to ESF Peisey Vallandry with Frédéric Glez in 51min46s and ESF Courchevel 1550 with Pascale Gachet Mauroz in 1h13min06s.

At the finish, Albert Félisaz, director of partner company “Plum”, congratulated the participants and the organisers of the Courchevel Sports Outdoor club and announced the date of the Plum KV Courchevel final in ski mountaineering, which will take place on Friday 17 March. At the end of this final climb, the 2017 French KV ski mountaineering records on this Vertical Kilometre course, homologated by the Fédération Française de Montagne et Escalade (FFME), will be awarded to the male and female winners, with prize money of €500.

Friday 17 March, last chance to be ranked for the X2 and X3 KV Courchevel challenges!

- X2 KV Courchevel Challenge 2017

The 228 athletes ranked last summer in trail running in the “Plum KV Courchevel” 2016 can take part in the 2017 “X2 KV Courchevel Challenge” by competing at least once in one of the 4 rounds this winter in ski mountaineering. A concept unique in the world where ski mountaineers and trail runners can express themselves and compare their performances on a Vertical Kilometre course that is strictly identical in summer and winter, with fine rewards at the end: €600, €300 and €100 respectively for the first 3 of each men’s and women’s category.

After the first 3 ski mountaineering events, the leaders are: Xavier Gachet in 1h17min23s (Trail running: 37min25s and ski mountaineering: 39min57s) and Corinne Favre in 1h43min33s (Trail running: 51min34s and ski mountaineering: 51min59s).

- X3 KV Courchevel Challenge 2017

For this competition, the 50 ranked athletes who ran both events in summer 2016 (trail running in the “Plum KV Courchevel” 2016 and cycling in the “Dynastar KV Courchevel” 2016) can compete in the 2017 “X3 KV Courchevel Challenge” by taking part at least once in one of the 4 rounds this winter in ski mountaineering, with prizes of €800, €500 and €200 respectively for the first 3 of each men’s and women’s category.

Currently, Valentin Favre with a total of 2h09min37s (Trail running: 40min55s, cycling: 46min16s and ski mountaineering 42min25s) and Stéphanie Duc in 2h40min39s (Trail running: 48min54s, cycling: 55min56s and ski mountaineering: 55min48s) hold the top of the podium.

Eric David and Corinne Favre win the 3rd Grand Slam.

In the weeks when the “Millet Ski Touring Courchevel” (MSTC) and the “Plum KV Courchevel” (PKVC) are held, a special ranking is drawn up for those who complete the “Grand Slam” (taking part in both events in the same week).

This week, the “Grand Slam” took into account the combined times of the MSTC on Wednesday 15 February and the PKVC on Friday 17 February. 26 competitors did both races back to back. Eric David won in 1h10min56s and Corinne Favre won in 1h20min47s.

The official presentation for all the events (MSTC, PKVC and the 4 “Grand Slams”) will take place on Thursday 23 March at the great ski mountaineering celebration in Courchevel on the occasion of the final of the “Millet Ski Touring Courchevel”, an evening enhanced by the Patrick Sébastien concert. The X2 and X3 KV Courchevel Challenges will be awarded at the “Dynastar X3 Courchevel” 2017 on 16 April.