ACT 6 - MILLET SKI TOURING COURCHEVEL - Wednesday 18 January 2023

The Millet Ski Touring Courchevel course regains all its lustre.

This Wednesday 18 January, the official ski touring course of the Millet Ski Touring Courchevel (MSTC) could be groomed in full by snowcat. It is the first time in this 13th season of the MSTC that the velvet carpet could cover the 3.2 km of the route after a very complicated start to the season because of the vagaries of the weather. The groomer passing just before the start of the race allowed the 73 competitors present to express themselves in very good conditions despite the snowstorm and a biting cold (-4° at the start).

With the 3rd World Cup stage of ski mountaineering taking place at the end of the week in Andorra, the discipline’s elite were not there, leaving more latitude for amateurs to reach the places of honour.

The Pole Sébastian Druszkiewicz head and shoulders above the rest.

After winning the 3rd round on the alternative course, the Pole Sébastian Druszkiewicz doubles up in 24min53s. He wins ahead of the 2 members of Sainte Foy Montagne, Rémi Berchet, also a trail runner with Team Scott, second in 25min21s, and the Englishman Chanse Devey, who loses out by 7 seconds in 25min28s. Of note is the fine performance of Jean-Christophe Bette, Olympic rowing champion at Sydney in 2000, who finishes with the wooden spoon, but retakes the lead in the provisional O40 category standings by posting his best time of the season in 26min28s.

Double success for Clémence David

In the women’s race, first appearance of the season for Clémence David, who wins in 32min55s and takes the opportunity to take the lead in the provisional standings of the Société des 3 Vallées (S3V) challenge ahead of Laetitia Renard. Great satisfaction for Lola Even, second in 38min59s, her best time, and for Marie-Astrid Barthet, a ski instructor at the ESF in Courchevel Village, 3rd in 39min38s, who moves into 3rd place in the women’s ESF challenge. The remarkable performance of Amélie Pain should be noted: the youngest participant of the evening, aged 12, she finishes in 53min49s, earning the bronze "La Trace ESF" medal.

Only 2 rounds left before the mini mid-season break.

From next Wednesday, for the 7th round of the MSTC, things should get serious again on the official course, which will be maintained to welcome amateurs and ski mountaineering enthusiasts in the best possible conditions, but also the world’s elite of the discipline in the race for the season’s records. The 8th round, set for Wednesday 1 February, a Full Moon special in partnership with the bindings company Plum, will mark the mid-season before a short 2-week break due to the organisation of the Alpine Skiing World Championships. To mark the occasion, as Candlemas demands, pancakes made by Nathalie Langeard and Gilles Poirier, 2 loyal participants, will be offered to all at the finish.

The season will resume its normal course on Wednesday 22 February with a special "Mercredi Gras", in partnership with the company Dynastar, to start getting the costumes out and preparing for the great fancy-dress final on Tuesday 21 March, which promises to be huge with the exceptional concert by the band Tryo to round off this 2023 edition.

Next date: 7th round of the Millet Ski Touring Courchevel on Wednesday 25 January