ROUND 17 - DYNAFIT SKI TOURING COURCHEVEL - 30 March 2011

Gabrielle Magnenat and Grégory Gachet take the victory.

The women’s climb record had a close call! After a fine bronze medal at the 2011 Pierra Menta with her teammate Mairie Troillet, the Swiss Gabrielle Magnenat of the Club Multisports d’Arêche Beaufort (CMSAB) was there for her third appearance in this 17th edition. Gabrielle showed very great form at the end of the season, going under the thirty-minute mark with a time of 29min28s, just 21 seconds off the women’s record still held by the Spaniard Mireia Miro Varela in 29min01s. The podium of the climb was completed by Ludivine Chauchaix in 38min42s and Emmanuelle Desrues in 42min26s. Among the men, last week’s record set by Yannick Buffet in 22min49s was not threatened, but Grégory Gachet of the CMSAB won this new edition with a time of 26min33s ahead of Steven Blanc of the same club in 27min54s and Nicolas Magisson of the CAF Albertville in 28min24s.

Six young people from the cross-country skiing section of the Club des Sports de Courchevel were also on the start line, and Julie Blanc finished first in the group in 46min48s.

The organisers are facing increasingly harsh weather conditions in keeping the track in shape, and we would highlight the work of the organisers from the Courchevel Sports Alpinisme association, who spent two days covering the track with snow, and of the municipal technical services for snowing the start area.

These efforts allowed the 41 participants to climb this 3.2 km route with 500 m of elevation gain without touching a blade of grass, and also to sustain the success of this event, which to date counts 861 starts for 433 different ranked competitors.

The race committee has nevertheless decided to cancel the climb of 13 April. The Dynafit Ski Touring Courchevel will therefore close next Wednesday, 6 April, with a special evening.

Participants who come in fancy dress will be offered the climb free and a special prize will be awarded.

After the timed race, the official prize-giving for the records for the season’s best men’s and women’s climbs will take place, followed by a buffet prepared by the Hotel “le Chabichou” and offered to all runners (a €10 contribution for companions).

In this connection, we note the participation in this 17th edition of Nicolas Rochedy, the director of the Chabichou, who finished with a time of 43min50s.