Round 14 - MILLET SKI TOURING COURCHEVEL - Wednesday 18 March 2015

Laetitia Roux smashes the record in the 14th round of the Millet Ski Touring Courchevel.

In this 14th and penultimate round of the Millet Ski Touring Courchevel (MSTC) on Wednesday 18 March, the women’s standings were shaken up by the presence of Laetitia Roux. With 14 world champion titles and a fine win last week in the 30th Pierra Menta with her Spanish team-mate Mireia Miro Varela, Laetitia blew the record apart. After covering the 3.2 km and 500 m on a route she knows well, having taken first place on it last year in this Vertical Race event at the Ski Mountaineering World Cup, she crossed the finish line in 26min04s. A fine performance, applauded by the 141 participants present and by Marion Manéglia, also a member of the French team, who finished second in 29min07s, and Géraldine Bau, third with a time of 33min46s.

Among the men the battle is fierce for 2nd and 3rd place in the overall standings, with Florent Perrier and Yoann Sert neck and neck. This hard-hitting duo, who help each other in many team races, become real rivals at the MSTC. In this 14th round it was Florent who had the last word, coming out on top in 23min51s and leaving second place to Yoann (24min15s). Julien Poquet completed the podium with a time of 25min21s.

Worth noting is the fine performance in 27min55s of Jérémy Pouge, rowing world champion in 2004 and 2005, who came to fine-tune his ski mountaineering training ahead of the “Dynastar X3 Courchevel” mountain triathlon (a combination of cycling, trail running and ski mountaineering) to be held on 19 April. Among the locals of the evening, Bernard Chardon, the course’s official groomer, came for the first time this season to appreciate his work on ski touring skis, finishing in 47min25s.

In the provisional overall standings of the MSTC 2015, Kilian Jornet is for the moment leader in 22min01s ahead of Yoann Sert (23min02s) and Forent Perrier (23min35s). Among the women, Laetitia Roux takes the lead in 26min04s ahead of Corinne Favre (28min05s) and Justine Tonso (28min45s).

This year, the 2014-2015 MSTC season record holders will be presented next Wednesday (25 March) at the final with the “Raymond & René Millet” Trophy, named after the founders of Millet, and €2,000 in prize money. The 2nd best scratch times (man and woman) will be rewarded with €1,250 in prize money and the 3rd best scratch times (man and woman) with €750 in prize money.

The best men’s and women’s times in each category of the 2014 - 2015 season will receive vouchers (public price, excluding sale items) for Millet products at the Camp de Base shop in the Forum at Courchevel 1850. For the Benjamin, Minime and Cadet categories: €200 voucher. For the Junior and Espoir categories: €300 voucher, and for the Senior, Veteran and “Senior-Veteran” (60 and over) categories: €400 voucher.

4th Grand Slam this week…

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

This week, the “4th and last Grand Slam” of the season will take into account the combined times of the MSTC on this Wednesday 18 March and the PKVC times on Friday 20 March. The “Grand Slam” records are for the moment held by Yoann Sert in 1h05min03s and Charlotte Le Roux in 1h32min04s.

It has become a tradition… for the last one, you come in fancy dress!!

Next Wednesday (25 March) the final climb of the season will be held. One last chance for competitors who will come to try to beat their own record or that of Kilian and Laetitia, and for the less experienced to be in the Millet Ski Touring Courchevel 2015 standings, which currently include 816 competitors.

As every year, to close these sporting events in style, registration will be free for everyone who comes in fancy dress and has taken part at least once during the season in the MSTC. The closing meal prepared by the partner hotel “Le Chabichou” will be offered to all participants and volunteers in the La Croisette hall.