Björka X3 Courchevel 2025: a look back at an exceptional edition

Björka X3 Courchevel 2025: the finest edition yet

On 20 July, the famous Savoie resort of Courchevel hosted its summer triathlon, the Bjorka X3 Courchevel. An event combining indoor rowing outdoors, cycling and trail running. This edition was a great success and took place in ideal conditions. A look back at this exceptional event.

It is one of the unmissable sporting events of the summer, both for Courchevel and for the number of athletes who come to take on the mountain and everything it has to offer. The Bjorka X3 Courchevel is a challenge unique in the world, which a large delegation of competitors came to take on.

It all begins with 6,000 metres on the rowing ergometer outdoors, facing the Olympic ski jumps of Courchevel Le Praz, in an electric atmosphere with a DJ and live coverage on a giant screen.

You had to be quick to be among the first to get on the bike and climb to the Courchevel altiport at 2,006 metres above sea level: 12.2 km with 750 m of elevation gain. Once the bike is racked, it’s on to 9.6 km with 550 m of climbing and descending, finishing with a sprint up the royal road, climbing the landing strip with Mont Blanc as a backdrop. In total, 27.8 km and 1,300 m of elevation gain, to be covered solo or as a trio.

The indoor rowing, on the roof of the Gymnase de l’Envolée, put on a magnificent show. “We had a giant 63-square-metre screen so that the public and the athletes could follow the races,” said Fleury Roux, president of the triathlon/adventure racing section of Courchevel Sports Outdoor, the club that organises the event. Matthieu Androdias, Olympic gold medallist at the Tokyo Games, a regular at the venue and patron of the event, produced the top performance in 20min22s on this formidable exercise before handing over to his teammate Jérôme De Bruyn with more than a minute’s lead. Despite the huge performance of former Belgian Koh Lanta contestant Helena Roosen, who set the best women’s time in the trail section in 1h05min27, this mixed team led by Matthieu would only finish in 10th position. 

A 5th title for Cédric Fleureton 

A regular in competition, Cédric Fleureton was imperious from start to finish and took his 5th win in 1h52min50s, relegating his runner-up Will Juillaguet , credited with 1h54min58s, by more than 2 minutes. Will consoled himself by taking the Challenge X3 Courchevel 2025 (combined times of the Dynastar X3 Courchevel and the Bjôrka X3 Courchevel 2025) after finishing 2nd in the Dynastar X3 Courchevel last 13 April.

After missing out on the podium in 2024 in the final sprint with triathlete Thomas Berthoud, Nicolas Raybaud took his revenge by claiming third place with a 3-minute lead over Thomas, who finished at the foot of the podium.

Among the women, the victory was decided 2 kilometres from the finish. 

The rower from the entente nautique d’Aix-Les-Bains, Eléa Cloutier, who came out in pole position from the rowing event in 25min16s, kept her lead at transition area no. 2 after the bike climb. But 2 kilometres from the end of the trail race, Coralie Grand caught the rower and took the win in 2h37min40s. “I really liked the wave starts because I get stressed when there are people around me. We were spaced out from each other at the start and it was very pleasant. Then I felt very good on the cycling and on the trail. It was as usual, I felt really good, the summer version is really great,” said Coralie, who also won the Challenge X3 Courchevel 2025.

Eléa Cloutier ultimately kept second place in 2h38min25s ahead of Manon Carpentier, a deserving third in 2h42min17s.

Three rowers who won medals at the world rowing championships triumph as a trio 

“It was a treat. I came 3 years ago, so I knew the cycling course well and this time I had the power meter to manage the climb properly. I knew where to push again and I really took advantage of it to hand over to Ferdinand with the maximum margin,” said rower Baptiste Savaete, who set the best bike time in 35min64s.

Thanks to his performance and those of his teammates Antoine Lefebvre and Ferdinand Ludwig, he won the men’s trio category in 1h49min08s.

Among the women’s trios, “les Feux folles”, made up of Ophelia Bru, Pauline Ferrand and Jessica Nicotera , finished first in 2h01min30s, as did “Les dudus” with Anaelle Wales, Mathias and Baptiste Termoz, first in 2h01min30s in the mixed trio category. This edition will remain etched in memory. No detail was overlooked, right down to the finisher medals, which were made in the form of the aeronautical medal of honour, a nod to the finish at an altitude of 2,006 metres on the altiport landing strip, crossed twice in cycling and in trail running.

Roll on the 2026 edition of the Bjorka X3.