Round 13 - MILLET SKI TOURING COURCHEVEL - Tuesday 21 March 2023

An incredible final of the Millet Ski Touring Courchevel 2023!

An exceptional 2023 outcome for season 13 of the Millet Ski Touring Courchevel (MSTC), which began on the first day of winter, Wednesday 21 December 2022, and ended at the start of spring, Tuesday 21 March 2023. This winter was marked by difficult snow conditions, which demanded an enormous amount of work from the president of the organising club, Guillaume Prin, and his whole team, with the help of the Sports Department and the commune’s snow-grooming department, to keep the official course of 3.2 km and 500 m of elevation gain between Courchevel Le Praz and Courchevel Station open. These efforts were rewarded: of the 13 rounds scheduled, only 2 were held on the fallback course, including the 2023 French Vertical Race Championship.

This season was boosted by 3 “Full Moon” specials in partnership with the binding brand Plum, which gave away, by prize draw among all the participants present, a pair of Plum R150 bindings, as well as a “Mercredi Gras” special in partnership with the Dynastar brand and, as a bonus, a pair of Dynastar Vertical 82 skis with matching skins.

Costumes for the finale

For 13 seasons, more than 21,000 participants have come to tackle, every Wednesday of the winter, this legendary MSTC course, which has become the benchmark for all ski tourers. Specialists, amateurs and newcomers rub shoulders in friendship to break records, fine-tune their fitness or simply enjoy themselves, as the vast majority do.

For the final, festivities take centre stage with, as tradition demands, fancy-dress costumes for the delight of the spectators. For the last event of Tuesday 21 March, there was a record turnout of more than 500 participants gathered on either side of the famous cascade start. There is no shortage of imagination in surprising and trying to win the trophy for best costume, awarded by the company Deguisetoi.fr 2023.

A very symbolic but highly coveted prize, as the choice proved difficult for the jury, who, after lengthy deliberation, chose the beatniks Charlène Buisson and Marco Tomassello. But many costumed competitors could have laid claim to this prize, such as the multitude of Rockers, to stay with the theme of the evening, surrounded by a Baroque Queen, pirates, dinosaurs and a Superman, to name only a few… Even Romain Millet, managing director of the Millet company, had got out the wig for the occasion.

The last word for Emily Harrop, the overall for Axelle Gachet Mollaret

While conviviality and good humour take precedence over the clock for the vast majority of competitors in the final, a few athletes had come to secure their place on the podium, or even to challenge the record.

After her 3rd place last Sunday in the Vertical Race (VR) of the Ski Mountaineering World Cup in Austria, less than a second behind Axelle Gachet Mollaret, the Courchevel skier Emily Harrop, also world mixed relay champion with Thibault Anselmet and team champion with Axelle, had every asset to post a big performance. But spring-like snow quality, hardly favourable, thwarted her objective. After 26min40s of racing, she nevertheless won ahead of the 2023 VR French vice-champion Célia Perillat Pessey, credited with 27min23s. Léna Bonnel, runner-up in the 2023 Pierra Menta, completed the podium in 28min18s.

In the final overall standings, the Queen Axelle Mollaret-Gachet achieved a historic seventh title with a time of 24min12s. She finished ahead, in order, of Emily Harrop (ESF Courchevel) in 26min41s, Jessica Pardin (CS Meribel) in 27min03s, Célia Perillat Peisey (CS La Clusaz) in 27min23s and Léna Bonnel in 28min19s. A very high-quality 2023 vintage.

The American Jim Walmsley, boss of the 2023 season

Among the men, the suspense was total, both in the final and in the season’s overall standings. It all ended in a photo finish.

This edition was characterised by the emergence of the American Jim Walmsley, a newcomer to the discipline. In this 13th climb, which ended at the finish, he won in 22min37s ahead of Yoann Sert, a loyal competitor in Courchevel events, in 22min46s, and Gédéon Pochat in 22min55s. A dream final in which the first 8 were under the 25-minute mark.

In the final overall standings, which saw the end of the dominance of the Swiss Rémi Bonnet, who was unfortunately unable to take part, the first 6 were within a good minute, showing the intensity of the battle. In this contest, the upper hand went to Jim Walmsley (CMSAB), credited with a time of 21min51s despite strong resistance from Gédéon Pochat in 21min56s and Samuel Equy in 22min09s. The places of honour were taken by the American Cameron Smith, 4th in 22min17s, Yoann Sert (CMSAB), 5th in 22min36s, and Mathéo Jacquemoud (CS Megève), 6th in 22min59s.

A memorable prize-giving set to the music of the band TRYO

The 2023 Raymond and René Millet crystal trophy (named after the founders of the partner company Millet) and the €2,000 prize money were presented by the irrepressible sports journalist Nelson Monfort, patron of the event, and by the mayor of Courchevel, Jean-Yves Pachod, to the 2 winners Axelle Mollaret-Gachet and Jim Walmsley, who scored the first American victory.

A season 13 described as phenomenal, which closed amid general jubilation with the concert by the band Tryo, who set the Envolée gymnasium on fire for more than 2 hours with their greatest hits, including “L’hymne de nos campagnes” and “Désolé pour hier soir”. An exceptional success, coupled with enormous popular acclaim, which drew congratulations from Alain Carrière, president of the French Mountaineering and Climbing Federation, Jean-Christophe Vidoni, deputy for Sports, and Alexia Lainé, director of the Courchevel Tourist Office.

On to edition 14. The whole Courchevel Sport Outdoor team is already working on next season, with its share of surprises and novelties.

Official 2023 overall standings:

Men:
1: Jim Walmsley > 21min51s
2: Gédéon Pochat > 21min56s
3: Samuel Equy > 22min08s
4: Cameron Smith > 22min17s
5: Yoan Sert > 22min36s

Women:
1: Axelle Gachet-Mollaret > 24min12s
2: Emily Harrop > 26min40s
3: Jessica Pardin > 27min02s
4: Célia Perillaz Pessey > 27min23s
5: Léna Bonnel > 28min18s

Category U16: Mathilde Gillet > 33min11s / Gustave Blanc > 28min36s
Category U18: Amandine Perrier > 33min26s / Edgar Cognaud > 27min12s
Category U20: Loanne Roussillon >30min10s / Jules Raybaud > 24min49s
Category U23: Marie-Charlotte Iratzoquy > 29min32s / Théo Bourgeois > 24min05s
Category O24: Axelle Gachet-Mollaret > 24min12s / Jim Walmsley > 21min51s
Category O40: Corinne Favre > 30min19s / Florent Besses > 25min34s
Category O60: Pascal Gachet-Mauroz > 39min02s / Olivier Pasteur > 28min11s