Round 2 - MILLET SKI TOURING COURCHEVEL - Wednesday 18 December 2024

Season 15 of the Millet Ski Touring Courchevel gets off to a flying start!

After the masterful opening of the 15th edition of the Millet Ski Touring Courchevel during the Ski Mountaineering World Cup on Sunday 15 December, the season has settled back into its cruising rhythm. Every Wednesday, right up to the big fancy-dress final on Monday 10 March, with a concert by Fatal Bazooka & Friends, athletes will battle it out on this now legendary course. 

The reference times recorded in the first round were breathtaking, with all the world’s best ski mountaineers present. The number of athletes who broke the 22-minute mark rose from 9 to 17, which demonstrates an undeniable progression in this sport. With a remarkable new record of 19min47s, Switzerland’s Rémi Bonnet may have knocked out the course. He is the only one to have gone under 21 minutes twice.

Among the women, seven-time MSTC winner Axelle Gachet Mollaret took back the reins of the race in 25min30s after finishing second last season. Nothing is decided at this stage of the competition as the challenge is still long, with 12 rounds remaining on the programme.

Frédéric Perrin and Sonia Brussoz win the second round

This Wednesday 18 December, 90 competitors turned up for the second round, which was held under an almost full moon. Every full-moon week, a Plum special is organised in which, at the end of the race, a pair of bindings is drawn by lot among all participants. For the occasion, Jérémie Rossetto was the evening’s lucky winner. 3 more Plum specials will be held in full-moon weeks on this legendary 3.2 km, 500 m elevation gain Vertical Race course, on 15 January, 12 February and 10 March.

Credited with a time of 25min36s, Frédéric Perrin won the second round of the MSTC at the finish. He was hard on the heels of trail running vertical kilometre specialist Vincent Loustau of team Vibram (25min50s) and Clément Génot (25min57s).

Among the women, Sonia Brussoz , a member of the Club de Méribel, triumphed in 29min59s. She finished ahead of Géraldine Bau , who incidentally set the best time of the S3V challenge in 32min36s, and Charline Pelissier (33min14s).

In the ESF challenge, Clara Guenard (Courchevel Village) and Steven Peudon (Méribel) have taken the lead.

The third round of the MSTC will be held on Wednesday 25 December. For this Christmas special, there will be surprises, with many gifts at the finish.

Next date: Millet Ski Touring Courchevel on Wednesday 25 December 2024