Felt X3 Courchevel 2018: triathlon is back

Triathlon returns to Courchevel with the Felt X3!

After 4 years away, triathlon is back in Courchevel with the Felt X3 this Sunday 19 August. With the success for the past 6 years of the extraordinary Dynastar X3 triathlon (a combination of cycling, trail running and ski mountaineering) at the end of winter, it had become essential to offer a similar event to close the summer season. Clément Valla, president of the triathlon section of the Courchevel Sports Outdoor club, and his whole team therefore offered a summer version of the X3 in partnership with the brand Felt, which specialises in the discipline, replacing ski mountaineering with swimming.

The X3 challenge is born! Triathletes taking part in both races in the same year will be ranked in the X3 challenge by adding their times together. An original idea that will probably make swimmers want to take up ski touring and vice versa.

Once again, competitors were able to appreciate the quality of the organisation and the atmosphere of this sprint-distance triathlon. A successful first, with more than 160 registered participants and a quality field under magnificent sunshine contributing to the success of the event.

Moulaï and Lemay, masters of the water.

At 11 am sharp, the starting signal given by the referees of the French Triathlon Federation released the athletes, eager to get stuck in. In a so-called “Australian exit” format, after a 1st swimming loop of 375 m, swimmers must get out of the water, run a few metres and dive back in for a 2nd leg, for a total distance of 750 m: a splendid spectacle that delighted the many spectators who came to cheer them on.

With a time of 10min14s, triathlete Tony Moulaï , selected for the Beijing Olympics in 2008 with a very full record (European runner-up in 2008, world relay runner-up, French champion in 2012 and, to top it all, a World Cup win in Tongyeong in late 2013), tamed his opponents. Hervé Faure , professional triathlete of the club “Aubenas Triathlon”, winner of the 1st Ironman France in Nice in 2005 and 3 times of the Embrunman, dropped 6 seconds but finished 30 seconds ahead of Thomas Leboucher of “Chambéry Triathlon”. Among the women, Virginie Lemay , of the club “Team Mermillod Triathlon”, won in 11min44s ahead of Alix Barbe of the club “Milles Pattes Triathlon”, second in 12min26s.

Navarro and Deplanche, stars on the pedals.

After a quick pass through the first transition area to swap the swimsuit for cycling kit, the triathletes got on their bikes for a 17 km ride to reach the resort of Courchevel 1850, an elevation gain of 1,000 metres. This discipline, the longest in duration, is strategically vital. You have to know how to manage the swim, not arrive out of breath on the bike and keep something in the legs to link well into the run. And all this without losing time, of course; some competitors had even clipped their shoes onto the pedals beforehand! On this legendary climb that the Tour de France has taken three times, Thomas Navarro , of the team “AS Monaco Triathlon”, proved the strongest with a time of 47min35s. “Organisation was top. This was my comeback after several fractures at the Trigames in Mandelieu on 27 May. I’m rather a long-distance specialist, but I’m happy with the result, which is very encouraging for my next goals: the Half Ironman in Nice in September and the Nature Man in October,” he told us at the finish. The Maurienne athlete Laura Deplanche, a member of the French ski mountaineering team, made the comeback in a cracking time of 55min30s, which allowed her to rejoin the leading group, as did Cécile Lennoz Gratin of the club “Stade Français Triathlon”, 3rd women’s time in 1h02min42s. Out in front, Virginie Lemay managed her lead with the 2nd time (57min55s).

Sumpter and Lemay, winners of the run.

After the last quick change in the second transition area, located on the Courchevel 1850 snow front, to switch from cyclist to runner mode, a 6.3 km loop (180 m of elevation gain/loss) awaited the competitors, a course identical to that of the Dynastar X3 trail run in April, but with 2 major differences: it must be run in the opposite direction and… without snow! In this context, Briton Richard Sumpter , brilliant winner of the 33 km of the New Balance X-Trail Courchevel in early August, set the best run time in 23min26s. This performance by the member of the “British Federation Triathlon” earned him a good 5th place overall. Among the women, Virginie Lemay confirmed her consistency by winning in 27min22s.

Tony Moulaï and Virginie Lemay, big winners of the Felt X3

At the start of the run, among the men, the gaps were very small between Tony Moulaï , slightly clear in front of Hervé Faure and Thomas Navarro neck and neck. Tony resisted the pressure well and won this first round of the Felt X3 in 1h24min07s. “2 years without wearing a tri-suit, I still had to deliver,” he said once across the line, barely marked by the effort. 40 seconds later, it was almost in a sprint that Thomas Navarro took 2nd place in 1h24min47s, ahead of Hervé Faure by 8 small seconds. By winning the swimming and running disciplines with a second place on the bike, Virginie Lemay won easily in 1h38min39s ahead of Laura Deplanche in 1h45min08, for whom it was the first triathlon of her career. Cécile Lennoz Gratin , 10th out of the water, took a deserved 3rd place in 1h49min28s.

The best teams, honour to the locals

“A fond la forme!”, aptly named, was victorious among the “Men’s trios” with swimmer Tristan Tymen , cyclist Léo Roulleau and runner Romain Guy in 1h31min42s. Among the women, the local trio “Team Courch BTC” won in 2h17min22s with Marie Ougier Simonin (Swimming), Céline Excoffier (Cycling) and Virginie Deflandre (Running). In the Mixed category, our neighbours from the valley, “La Triplette de Pussy”, with Claire Lemaire (Swimming), Rémi Verthier (Cycling) and Philippe Mottier (Running), won without a fight in the excellent time of 1h41min51.

X3 Challenge 2018

For this first edition of the X3 Courchevel Challenge 2018, Tony Moulaï took the title with a cumulative time (Dynastar X3 + Felt X3) of 3h38min48s ahead of Cédric Mollard (4h36min22s) and Sylvestre Roche (4h45min22s). Among the women, victory went to Cécile Lecroere in 6h10min52s ahead of Coline Rousseau (7h42min41s) and Mireille Viollon (8h41min16s).

See you in 2019 for the 2nd edition of the X3 Challenge.