Act 3 - MILLET SKI TOURING COURCHEVEL - Thursday 1 January 2015

Kilian Jornet smashes his own record in the New Year Millet Ski Touring Courchevel!

Just back from Argentina after setting a new Aconcagua (6,962 m) ascent/descent record in 12h49, Kilian Jornet was at the start of the Millet Ski Touring Courchevel (MSTC) this Thursday 1 January 2015. It was his first race of 2015 on this Vertical Race course of 3.2 km and 500 m elevation gain, of which he has been the record holder since last year in 22min 16s!

This extraordinary champion nicknamed "the extraterrestrial", multiple Ski Mountaineering and Skyrunning world champion, always in search of new challenges and records in the four corners of the world, begins this new year in very great form.

On this 3rd stage of the MSTC, which was held on the official course for the first time since the start of the season thanks to last weekend’s snowfall, Kilian was not content with winning the race but smashed his own record by 15 seconds with a time of 22min01s. To show the importance of this feat, it should be known that the second best performance on this climb since the beginning is held by the Italian Damiano Lenzi 18 seconds behind, with a time of 22min19s. A time the Italian set on this same course during the Ski Mountaineering World Cup in January 2014.

"I trained a lot in November and, after my stay at altitude in Argentina to set the Aconcagua record, I am starting this new year in good physical condition. That is what allowed me to set this time today on the Millet Ski Touring Courchevel," Kilian told us at the finish.

For this first event of the year, the Catalan left no chance to the other 124 participants. Tony Portanier of ESF Courchevel 1550 took second place in 25min23s and Lionel Bouzon completed the podium in 27min51s.

Among the women, it was Laurie Renoton who won in 34min16s ahead of Véronique Laturaz (35min06s) and Patricia Renoton (40min15s).

With a time of 48min48s, the mayor of Courchevel, Philippe Mugnier, is for the moment far from his personal record of 40min34s set last year, but with Kilian’s advice there is no doubt that the 40-minute barrier should fall before the final on 25 March.