ROUND 8 - MILLET SKI TOURING COURCHEVEL - Wednesday 8 February 2017

Joonas Kortelainen and Sophie Mollard win the 8th round of the Millet Ski Touring Courchevel

The countdown has begun for the 2017 Millet Ski Touring Courchevel. Only 6 rounds remain to be contested in this ski touring race before the final on Thursday 23 March. Now you have to be there every Wednesday and give it your all. Everyone has their own challenge: to do better than last year, last month or last week, to go under a time barrier, to beat your mate, to be in the top 10, the top 20, the top 100…, to take part in order to appear in the 2017 standings, to fight for the podium in your category, and also, for the specialists, to take the 2017 record. That is plenty to look forward to in the coming rounds. This Wednesday 8 February, the 80 competitors did not give up despite heavy snowfall, and they were right, because many managed to set their best time of the season. Remember that the 2016 records set by Mathéo Jacquemoud and Leatitia Roux were achieved in similar conditions.

The organisers of the “Courchevel Sports Outdoor Montagne et Escalade” club had planned everything to give participants the best possible conditions in the face of the capricious weather, sending a snowcat over the 3.2 km vertical race course with 500 m of elevation gain ten minutes before the first start of this time trial.

The Finn Joonas Kortelainen confirmed his win in the 6th round by taking this one in 24min40s, improving his record by almost a minute. Arthur Blanc of ESF Arêches followed in 25min02s ahead of Jean-Christophe Bette, the most decorated rower in French rowing, with an Olympic gold medal from the Sydney Games and five world titles to his name, who finished in 26min03s.

Among the women, Sophie Mollard stood out in 32min06s ahead of Clémence David (34min20s) and Pauline Caillet of ESF Courchevel 1850 (36min11s).

In the ESF challenge, no surprise for Arthur Blanc and Pauline Caillet, who are already on the scratch podium. Note the fine performance of Loic Lemoine, director of ESF Courchevel 1550, who finished in 51min36s on his first participation of the season. Incidentally, this year ESF Courchevel 1550 has set up a “Stop if you can!” challenge to reward the runners who take part in the greatest number of Millet Ski Touring Courchevel rounds in the season. Prizes are offered to competitors, who must go to the ESF after 3, 6, 9 and 12 participations. The value of the prizes increases at each stage, with a generously endowed prize draw at the end: pairs of Dynastar skis, Plum bindings and Millet equipment. In short, the more you take part, the more chance you have of winning a very nice prize.

Fine performances also from Sébastien Figlionili, manager of the partner shop Le Camp de Base and winner of the Pierra Menta in 1998, who set his best time of the season in 26min37s, and from the youngest competitor of the evening, Maxime David (born in 2003), who recorded a time of 41min43s.

Good news: everyone registered for the fancy-dress final on Thursday 23 March with Patrick Sébastien will be given a free registration for one of the last 3 rounds of the Millet Ski Touring Courchevel (Wednesday 1, 8 or 15 March)!

Next week sees the season’s 3rd Grand Slam.

The third ski mountaineering round of the Vertical Kilometre (KV) Plum KV Courchevel (PKVC) will be held on Friday 17 February. At the end of the 4 rounds offered this season (20 January, 3 and 17 February, 17 March) on this 5 km course with 1,000 m of elevation gain, approved by the French Mountain and Climbing Federation (FFME), the 2017 French KV records will be awarded. The provisional best times of the 2017 PKVC are for now held by Yoann Sert in 43min06s and Géraldine Bau in 57min24s.

In the weeks when the MSTC and the PKVC are organised, a specific ranking is drawn up for those who complete the “Grand Slam” (taking part in the 2 events in the same week).

Next week, the season’s “3rd Grand Slam” will take into account the combined times of the MSTC on Wednesday 15 February and those of the PKVC on Friday 17 February. The provisional 2017 records currently belong to Arnaud Mazet in 1h09min24s and Géraldine Bau in 1h29min23s.