French Ski Mountaineering Vertical Race Championship in Courchevel - 28 January 2012
All the best French athletes were gathered this Saturday 28 January
A fine success for the team of the association "Courchevel Sports Alpinisme", who for a week, with the help of the piste service, the ESF instructors and the sports department, had done everything to host this French championship in the best conditions.
All the best French athletes were gathered this Saturday 28 January for this last qualifying event for the European championships, which will take place from 4 to 11 February in Pelvoux (05).
Despite the snowflakes and the fog at altitude, a wild atmosphere was in evidence, with two accordionists on the course and musical entertainment at the start and finish areas, the presence of Ludovic Collet, official announcer of the Ultra Trail du Mont-Blanc, commenting on the race at the Croisette crossing, and spectators who did not fail to bring out their cowbells and line the track to cheer on the 161 participants.
The mass start forced the organisers to widen and level the track since last Sunday so that all runners could overtake at any moment without losing time on the course, which differed according to age category.
The course was identical to the Dynafit Ski Touring Courchevel held every Wednesday until 4 April from Le Praz to Courchevel 1850 for the cadet categories and junior women (3.2 km and 500 m of elevation gain). Junior men and the espoir, senior and veteran women covered 1 km more, up to the top of the Loze wall via the Coqs piste (4.2 km and 740 m of elevation gain), and the espoir, senior and veteran men went on to the top of the Loze piste at the level of the Soucoupe restaurant, after 4.8 km of racing and 920 m of elevation gain.
In the end, the titles of French ski mountaineering champion in the Vertical Race event were awarded in the cadet category to Louise Borgnet of CAF Annecy compétition and Simon Bellabouvier of the étoile sportive du Cormet; in the junior category to Axelle Mollaret of CAF Annecy compétition and Emilien Bochet of the club multisports d’Arêche Beaufort. Emilie Favre of the club ski alpinisme du Val d’Abondance and Mathéo Jacquemoud of Team Ecrins Hautes Alpes win in the espoir category. For the seniors, a clean sweep for Laetitia Roux, who won the individual and sprint events a few weeks ago. Yannick Buffet of the Praz Montagne club also won, beating along the way his record of last season on the DSTC. Corinne Favre of Team Ecrins Hautes Alpes and Tony Sbalbi of the club Amitié et Nature de Tarbes prevailed among the veterans.
New records at the 8th edition of the Dynafit Ski Touring Courchevel (DSTC) for Kilian Jornet and Laetitia Roux.
As the first part of the course was identical to that of the DSTC, the runners' times counted towards the overall standings and a special prize-giving was held.
The reigning world champion Kilian Jornet Burgada, present at this French championships event because of his Spanish nationality, cannot be ranked in the French championship but wins the Scratch ranking ahead of Yannick Buffet. With a time of 22min34, he smashes the record of Yannick B. of 22min49s set last season on the DSTC and takes the lead in the provisional overall standings ahead of Yannick Buffet, who finishes in 22min43s, and Valentin Favre in 23min18s.
Among the women, Laetitia Roux with a time of 28min12s also crushes the record of the Catalan Mireia Miro Varela set last year in 29min01. Corinne Favre, a few hundredths behind, takes second place in 28min13 ahead of Blandine Du Crest of the Club Courchevel Sports Alpinisme (silver medal in seniors in the French Championship event), who finishes in 30min20s.
During the awards ceremony, Mr Pierre You, president of the Fédération Française de Montagne et Escalade, was presented with the town’s medal by the First Deputy Mayor Fernand Mugnier.
A meal prepared by the restaurant Le Chabichou in the Croisette hall closed the evening.