Round 5 - DYNAFIT SKI TOURING COURCHEVEL - 9 January 2013

Alexandre Pellicier and Katell Guiziou take the 5th Dynafit Ski Touring Courchevel.

This Wednesday 9 January, conditions were ideal for the 55 participants at the fifth round of the Dynafit Ski Touring Courchevel (DSTC). Even though the moon was missing this week, the stars were clearly visible and temperatures mild, allowing the ski mountaineers to cover the 3.2 km and 500 m of elevation gain of this night race between Le Praz and Courchevel 1850 in good conditions.

Among the cries of encouragement at the finish, the “Allez! Allez! Allez!…” were embellished by the “Davaï! Davaï! Davaï!…” from the many Russian supporters there to accompany the runners over the last metres and boost their compatriots, such as the lovely Anna Orlova , who had the honour of being accompanied all along the course by her guide Sébastien Figliolini , who won the legendary Pierra Menta race in 1998 and today runs the sports shop “Camp de Base”.

Even though many nationalities were present, the top places on the podium remained French, with the victory ofAlexandre Pellicier of the Granier Ski Club in 25min ahead of Cyrille Gardet of the Arêches Beaufort Multisport Club in 25min03s and Julien Poquet of the Courchevel Sports Alpinisme club in 27min18s.

CAF Albertville took the first three places among the women, with Katell Guiziou at the top of the podium in 37min25s followed by Sabine Morand in 38min13s and Anne-Marie Henrion in 38min51s.

With the Vertical Race event of the French ski mountaineering championships approaching, to be held in Courchevel on 2 February on the same course as the DSTC, members of the French team and specialists of the discipline should be present again on the next Wednesdays to scout and fine-tune their preparation.