ROUND 4 - MILLET SKI TOURING COURCHEVEL - Wednesday 15 January 2020

The 4th Millet Ski Touring Courchevel 2020 goes to Rémi Berchet and Corinne Favre

A very full week as a prelude to the Individual event of the French Ski Mountaineering Championship, which will take place in Courchevel this Saturday 18 January, with 2 rounds of the “Millet Ski Touring Courchevel” on the programme, on Wednesday 15 and Friday 17 January. The latter, also called “Le Chrono des Champions”, will be the qualifying event for the next ski mountaineering World Cups. In this context, the French elite will be there and the top of the overall standings should be shaken up, as might the event records.

For the 4th round of 2020 of the “MSTC” this Wednesday 15 January, the 3.2 km and 500 m of elevation gain of Vertical Race between Courchevel Le Praz and Courchevel were covered in 24min32s by the trail runner Rémi Berchet, winner last October of the Endurance Trail des Templiers, one of the pioneering races of the discipline, run across the Causses plateau (106 km and 5,125 m of elevation gain). As almost every week, there was no time to dawdle on the track. The first 3 were within 15 seconds. Jonas Buchot took second place in 24min39s ahead of Arnaud Mazet, the reigning winner of the Dynastar X3 Courchevel (the extraordinary triathlon combining cycling, trail running and ski mountaineering), credited with a time of 24min47s. In the overall standings, Joris Perillat Pessey of ESF La Clusaz keeps pole position in 22min34s.

Among the women, Corinne Favre confirmed her victory in the 1st round of the “Plum MOONtain Races Courchevel” on Monday 6 January, winning in 29min02s ahead of Dixandra Magisson of CAF Albertville in 34min59s and Guylaine Blanc in 36min27s. She took the opportunity to climb to 4th place in the provisional overall standings, which are still led by the American Sierra Anderson (28min23s).

Wins for Pascale Gachet Mauroz and Paul Jay in the ESF challenge

Her goal for some years now has been to do them all. Pascale Gachet Mauroz, a ski instructor at ESF Courchevel Village, still out on the track as one of the most dedicated competitors in the “MSCT”, finished on the 1st step of the podium in the ESF Challenge. Among the instructors, Paul Jay of ESF Les Menuires won in the excellent time of 25min11s. In the overall standings, Joris Perillat Pessey of ESF La Clusaz and Emily Harrop of ESF Aime 2000 in 29min15s are leading the race.

In this 4th round, which brought together 118 competitors including a large contingent from the “Belles Grimpes Ski Alp” club, the "Raymond & René Millet 2020" crystal trophies (named after the founders of Millet Mountain) were officially presented by Guillaume Prin, president of the organising club “Courchevel Sports Outdoor”. They will be awarded to the winners of the men’s and women’s records of the 2020 season at the grand fancy-dress final on Wednesday 18 March, followed by the exceptional Shy’m concert, and accompanied by a €2,000 bonus. The 2nd and 3rd best overall times (men and women) of the season will also receive prize money of €1,250 and €750 respectively.

Vouchers for the partner shop “Le Camp de Base” will reward the winners of each category: Cadets: €300, Juniors and Espoirs: €350, and Veterans and Senior-Veterans (60 and over): €450. Fine prizes that will motivate many runners for the next 10 events!

Suspense to come with the “Chrono des Champions” this Friday 17 January.

As usual open to all, this race will count towards the 2020 overall standings of the “MSCT”, with free entry for participants in the 4th round on 15 January. It will be an opportunity for all enthusiasts of the discipline to rub shoulders with the members of the French team in an informal setting.