Round 4 - MILLET SKI TOURING COURCHEVEL - Wednesday 1st January 2025

2025 starts with a bang at the Millet Ski Touring Courchevel

The 2025 New Year’s resolutions got under way this Wednesday 1st January for the 166 ski mountaineers at the 4th round of the Millet Ski Touring Courchevel (MSTC). An idyllic start to 2025 on this legendary 3.2 km, 500 m elevation gain Vertical Race course, perfectly prepared between Courchevel Le Praz and Courchevel 1850.

On this occasion, the Crystal Trophy Raymond and René Millet 2025, named after the founders of partner company Millet, was officially presented by Guillaume Prin, president of the organising club Courchevel Sports Outdoor. It will be awarded to this season’s winners on Monday 10 March at the big fancy-dress final.

€9,800 of prize money will reward the top 5 of the overall standings, led so far among the men by the Swiss duo Rémi Bonnet (19min47s) and Aurélien Gay (21min38s), ahead of the French runners Xavier Gachet (21min45s) and Paul Jay (21min46s) and the Belgian Maximilien Drion Du Chapois (21min46s).

Among the women, France’s Axelle Gachet Mollaret (25min30s) and Emily Harrop (25min42s) lead the way, followed by Austria’s Sarah Dreier (25min57s), Italy’s Alba De Silvestro (26min16s) and Spain’s Malen Osa Ansa (26min38s).

Yoann Sert wins the 4th round.

Although no performances were recorded that could change the top 10 of the provisional overall standings, this first stage of 2025 saw fierce battles for the podium places in both the men’s and women’s races.

While Yoann Sert, a member of the Club Multi Sports d’Arêches Beaufort, with a time of 23min27s, was never troubled in the men’s race, the same could not be said for the places of honour. 2023 French Trail vice-champion and 2022 Skyrune winner Loïc Robert in 26min02s finished just one second ahead of Louis Cardoso .

Just off the podium, missing out by 4 seconds, the reigning French Vertical Race champion in the U18 category Paul Sulpice confirmed his status as a competitor for the future. After his bronze medal in the Vertical Race of the Youth Ski Mountaineering World Cup at Crévacol in Italy last weekend, he is racing ahead at the top of the POS (provisional overall standings) of the MSTC U18 category.

Note the fine performance of his father, the Michelin-starred chef Jean Sulpice, who finished 7th with a time of 28min06s.

American Kaitlin Allen takes the win.

A superb cat-and-mouse battle between American Kaitlin Allen , winner in 31min53s, ahead of Géraldine Bau (31min56s), punctuated this climb, the reverse of last week’s result, with both athletes improving on their previous times. Are we going to see a decider in the 5th stage? Elise Perrin completed the podium in 33min32s, 4 seconds ahead of the reigning French U18 Vertical Race champion Mathilde Gillet of the Maurienne Ski Alpinisme club (33min36s), who holds pole position in the MSTC 2025 U18 PCS.

Alice Nard, 2025 French U18 Vertical Race vice-champion and member of Luchon Haute Montagne, finished 7th in the women’s overall in 34min51s, a performance that places her second in the MSTC standings for her category.

A small glass of champagne to celebrate the new year closed this 1st stage of 2025. The next date is the 5th round, to be held on Wednesday 8 January with the traditional Epiphany cakes. Those lucky enough to find a charm after the prize-giving will be rewarded with a prize.

Next date: Millet Ski Touring Courchevel on Wednesday 8 January 2025