HOKA XTrail COURCHEVEL 2021

Something new and a quality field at the Hoka XTrail Courchevel 2021

3 new routes of 11, 22 and 33 km and 6 races of 11, 22, 33, 44, 55 and 66 km were initially on offer in this new edition of the Hoka XTrail Courchevel, but with a forecast of very heavy rainfall in the middle of the night, the organisers from the Courchevel Sports Outdoor club took the wise decision to cancel the night starts scheduled from 3 am, for the safety of the runners and also of the volunteers. Participants registered for the 66, 55 and 44 km were therefore transferred to the 33 km, with a start at 9 am on Sunday 1 August in autumnal conditions, with sleet made worse by fog and cold. At 9.30 am, the starting signal released the 22 km runners, followed by those of the 11 km half an hour later.

The magnificent, eagerly awaited landscapes on the various courses, including the famous Montcharvet ridge, the summit of the Dent du Villard (altitude 2,284 m), the Col de la Grande Pierre (altitude 2,304 m), the cascade des poux, the sentier des mille marches on the descent from the Col de la Chal, the Lac de la Rosière, the new path leading to the Creux de l’Ours, the sapin argenté path and the Mategena pools were partly hidden from view and could not dazzle the athletes. Despite these constraints, the 3 new courses were a unanimous hit with the runners, and many of them have already arranged to meet again for the 2022 edition.

The 33 km for Thomas Cardin and Ania Darmograi

Winner of the Hoka X Trail Courchevel 22 km in 2020, as well as the 2020 Trail du Ventoux and the Passerelles de Monteynard trail in early July, Hoka team member Thomas Cardin, selected for the 2021 Trail Running World Championships, did it again on the 33 km in 3h18min40. “Above 2,000 m there was a lot of water and wind, and it was very cold. Goodbye summer conditions, but I coped. It makes things much more technical on the ridges, which stops you going very fast. On the descents you can’t commit fully, especially the one from the Col de la Grande Pierre. In the valley bottom it was perfect as usual. Delighted to have discovered a very original new route compared with last year. It was a great race,” he said after crossing the finish line.

Initially entered in the 66 km, Nepalese runner Sange Sherpa, a long-distance specialist, took second place in 3h33min, tied with Damien Boston. After 2 podiums in 3rd place on the 50 km in 2017 and 2018, Sange set off cautiously. “I knew the course, but in the opposite direction from my previous participations, and it was also magnificent this way round. I had a good climb, but my strong point is the descents, where I managed to catch up with a lot of people. Thomas is on another level, I couldn’t catch him. Happy to finish with Damien, really cool to share the finish line together.”

With a rich international field, this trail race saw a win in the women’s race for Ukrainian Ania Darmograi , a licensed member of the Lyon Mountain Trail club. She won the 33 km in 4h10min31s. With her wonderful smile, she admitted after catching her breath: “You have to like technical terrain and rain, but for me it was magical even though my goal was the 55 km.” Lucie Gerard in 4h44min took the second step of the podium ahead of Savoyarde Laure Pion (Maurienne Trail) in 2h16min31s.

Laurent Jalabert swapped the commentator’s microphone for the challenges of the course

World number one in road cycling from 1995 to 1997 and again in 1999, 1997 world time trial champion, with 138 victories in his career, Laurent Jalabert, coach of the French road team from 2009 to 2013, now a sports commentator who has made a fine sporting transition into triathlon and trail running, was there with his partner Marion Limouzy with the aim of preparing for the 2021 Diagonale des Fous on Réunion Island. “My aim was to run the race together. I found the course really enjoyable, with a really tough first part. On the ridges there was quite a lot of fog for the panorama, but the trails are really great,” he said at the finish after completing the race in 6h01min19s.

Nadir Mago Maguet and Caroline Delord, winners of the 22 km

2nd at the Marathon du Mont Blanc and the Dolomyths Run in 2019, winner of the Ring of Steall the same year and 3rd on the 2021 Pierra Menta, all topped off with a brilliant international record in ski mountaineering, Nadir Mago Maguet, a member of the Italian national ski mountaineering team, won the 22 km in 2h05min31s. “It was really extraordinary, the ridge at the top: another planet. The descent with the stairs: superb but technical on the way to the lake. A very pretty race!” said Nadir, whose goal is to win the 2021 Golden Trail Series. He finished ahead of Moha Aarab, second in 2h12min21, in a sprint finish with local runner Will Juillaguet 3rd in 2h12min54s.

In the women’s race, Caroline Delord won with a time of 2h51min44s. “It was great, the climb was very hard, I was a bit lost in the middle. At the top of the Dent du Villard it was magnificent despite the fog.” The podium was completed by Anna Thomasson in 2h57min22s and Pauline Bruyere in 3h007min09s.

Théo Arnaud and Loanne Roussillon win the 11 km

“It was super muddy and quite technical! I had already won it last year but it wasn’t the same course. This year it’s different and it was cool. At the start I was in a group of 4 before ending up on my own. It was really hard but I managed to finish, I’m dead but really happy. A big thank you to the organisation.” This reaction from Maurienne Trail club member Loanne Roussillon, winner of the 11 km in 1h06min35s, sums up the difficulty of the course and the harsh weather conditions. She finished ahead of Marion Milesi (1h12min12s) and Bérénice Jacques (1h16min48s).

The men’s podium of the 11 km was decided under the 1-hour mark. Théo Arnaud (Annecy Trail Running) won in 55min09s ahead of Spaniard Hector Reguera (57min26s) and Valentin Dameron (59min32s). “It was a very nice course with the first 4 kilometres fairly runnable. There were two of us in the lead until the first climb, which was very steep, and I took advantage of it to make the difference. I set off on my own and widened the gap throughout the race over the three bumps, one climb and descent after another. A really leg-breaking route with roots and technical sections… that’s exactly what I like!” the winner told us.

See you in 2022, hoping the sun will be out.