Round 4 / SKI MOUNTAINEERING - PLUM KV COURCHEVEL - Friday 17 March 2017

The two reigning French Vertical Race champions, Xavier Gachet and Axelle Mollaret, take the 2017 French Vertical Kilometre ski mountaineering records.

The ski mountaineering season for the Plum KV Courchevel 2017 ended this Friday 17 March. A lovely spring evening closed this 2017 edition, with 60 ski mountaineers at the start of this 4th round. The 1,000 metres of elevation gain and 5 km of distance were covered in 49min52s by Axelle Mollaret , the reigning team and relay ski mountaineering World Champion, who set the 2017 women’s record. Corinne Favre took second place in 52min48s ahead of Catherine Juillaguet in 55min10s. Among the men, Swann Juillaguet of the Courchevel Sports Outdoor club won in 42min39s ahead of Florent Perrier (43min40s) and Sébastien Figliolini , manager of the partner shop Le Camp de Base (48min03s).

All winter long, the best specialists competed for the French ski mountaineering record on this Vertical Kilometre (KV) course, homologated by the Fédération Française de la Montagne et de l’Escalade (FFME). After official validation by the Federation, the 2017 French Vertical Kilometre records go to Xavier Gachet (39min57s) and Axelle Mollaret (49min52s). Second in the overall standings are Valentin Favre (42min25s) and Corinne Favre (51min59s), followed in third position by Swann Juillaguet (42min39s) and Catherine Juillaguet (55min10s).

In the ESF challenge, Grégory Gachet of ESF Arêches in 48min26s and Pascale Gachet Mauroz of ESF Courchevel 1550 in 1h13min06s are the winners of this 2017 edition.

Prize money of €500 will be presented to the 2017 winners on Thursday 23 March at the end of the grand final of the Millet Ski Touring Courchevel. The PKVC will resume on Wednesday 12 July in a trail running version on the same course with 4 rounds, 1 of which is part of the “Skyrunner France Series 2017” circuit.

X2 KV Courchevel Challenge 2017 for Xavier Gachet and Axelle Mollaret

To be ranked in the “X2 KV Courchevel Challenge 2017”, you must have taken part at least once in each discipline in one of the 4 rounds of the “Plum KV Courchevel” held in summer 2016 in trail running and winter 2017 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.

47 athletes appear in the 2017 standings, with the following podiums:

- 1st: Xavier Gachet in 1h17min23s (Trail running: 37min25s and ski mountaineering: 39min57s) and Axelle Mollaret in 1h34min29s (Trail running: 44min36s and ski mountaineering: 49min52s)

- 2nd: Valentin Favre in 1h23min21s (Trail running: 40min55s and ski mountaineering: 42min25s) and Corinne Favre in 1h43min33s (Trail running: 51min34s and ski mountaineering: 51min59s)

- 3rd: Swann Juillaguet in 1h24min18s (Trail running: 41min39s and ski mountaineering: 42min39s) and Stéphanie Duc in 1h44min42s (Trail running: 48min54s and ski mountaineering: 55min48s)

X3 KV Courchevel Challenge 2017 for Valentin Favre and Axelle Mollaret

This competition follows the same pattern as the X2 KV Courchevel Challenge 2017, with the addition of compulsory participation by bike in one of the 4 rounds of the 2016 “Dynastar KV Courchevel”. The prizes for the men’s and women’s podiums are €800, €500 and €200 respectively.

23 triathletes ranked, with the following winners:

- 1st: Valentin Favre in 2h09min37s (Trail running: 40min55s, cycling: 46min16s and ski mountaineering 42min25s) and Axelle Mollaret in 2h27min17s (Trail running: 44min36s, cycling: 52min48s and ski mountaineering 49min52s)

- 2nd: Swann Juillaguet in 2h10min28s (Trail running: 41min39s, cycling: 46min09s and ski mountaineering 42min39s) and Stéphanie Duc in 2h40min39s (Trail running: 48min54s, cycling: 55min56s and ski mountaineering: 55min48s)

- 3rd: Eric David in 2h13min23s (Trail running: 41min56s, cycling: 45min52s and ski mountaineering 45min34s) and Catherine Juillaguet in 2h47min34s (Trail running: 53min49s, cycling: 58min35s and ski mountaineering 55min10s)

William Perrier and Axelle Mollaret win the 4th Grand Slam.

In the weeks when the MILLET SKI TOURING COURCHEVEL (MSTC) and the PLUM KV COURCHEVEL (PKVC) are organised, a ranking is drawn up for those who complete the “Grand Slam” (taking part in the 2 events in the same week).

This week, the “Grand Slam” took into account the combined times of the MSTC on Wednesday 15 March and the PKVC on Friday 17 March. 23 competitors did both races back to back. William Perrier of the Courchevel Sports Outdoor club won in 1h14min51s and Axelle Mollaret of the Club Multisports d’Arêches Beaufort won in 1h17min15s.

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 a concert by Patrick Sébastien. The X2 and X3 KV Courchevel Challenges will be awarded at the “Dynastar X3 Courchevel” 2017 on 16 April.

Next dates:
- Millet Ski Touring Courchevel final with Patrick Sébastien: Thursday 23 March
- Dynastar X3 Courchevel: Sunday 16 April 2017
- Plum KV Courchevel in trail running: Wednesday 12 July 2017