Act 1 / SKI MOUNTAINEERING - PLUM KV COURCHEVEL - Friday 22 January 2016

Plum KV Courchevel 2016: Mathéo Jacquemoud and Corinne Favre blow the clock apart!

With the lack of snow in December, this second season of the Plum KV Courchevel (PKVC) opened this Friday 22 January. This Vertical Kilometre race (1,000 m elevation gain / 5 km) is run over 4 ski mountaineering rounds throughout the winter (22 January, 5 and 19 February, 18 March). At the end of the 4 events, each participant’s best times will be counted for the season’s overall standings.

The specialists will do battle for the French ski mountaineering record on this vertical kilometre course approved by the French Mountain and Climbing Federation (FFME) and try to win the season record, which will be rewarded with prize money of 500 euros.

The 2015 records fell in the very first round.

Among the 74 competitors present in this 1st round, Mathéo Jacquemoud of Courchevel Sports Alpinisme lowered the 2015 record held by Yoann Sert in 42min01s. Having finished 4th in the Individual race and 6th in the Vertical Race at the 1st stage of the ski mountaineering World Cup held last week in Andorra, he brought down the time of this Vertical Kilometre by winning in 40min05s ahead of Arnaud Mazet in 44min37s and Jean-Christophe Bette (Val d’Arve Ski Alpinisme) in 45min59s.

Among the women, the best time set last year by Catherine Juillaguet in 54min26s did not hold out against Corinne Favre. Holder of the provisional record of the 2016 Millet Ski Touring Courchevel, the member of the Club Multisports d’Arêches Beaufort also finds herself at the top of the bill in the 2016 PKVC with a cracking time of 51min09s. "I didn’t know the course, I played it safe all the way so as not to be caught out and blow up along the way, but next time I’ll let everything go! The course is really great!" Corinne confided at the finish. Elsa Nodet (Chamonix Ski Alpinisme) came in behind in 56min23s followed by the 2013 French Trail champion Stéphanie Duc (VEO 2000) in 57min17s.

At the prize-giving, Albert Félisaz, director of the binding company "Plum", partner of the event, congratulated all the participants and volunteers, explaining that at the end of the winter season the PKVC will make way for the trail runners / skyrunners, with 4 rounds in trail version included on the "Skyrunner France Series 2016" circuit. A concept unique in the world, where ski mountaineers and trail runners can express themselves and compare their respective performances on a Vertical Kilometre course that is strictly identical in winter and summer!

The best men’s and women’s times of the summer season will be rewarded with prize money of 500 euros. 1,000 euros will be awarded to the best men’s and women’s time of the year, by adding together the 2 performances in ski mountaineering and in trail.

Arnaud Mazet and Elsa Nodet win the 1st Grand Slam.

In the weeks when the MILLET SKI TOURING COURCHEVEL (MSTC) and the PLUM KV COURCHEVEL (PKVC) are organised, a ranking is drawn up for those who complete the “Grand Slam” (taking part in the 2 events in the same week).

This week, the "Grand Slam" took into account the combined times of the MSTC on Wednesday 20 January with the times of the PKVC on Friday 22 January. 22 competitors completed both races. Arnaud Mazet won this first stage in 1h09min22s and Elsa Nodet won among the women in 1h28min03s.

The official prize-givings for the 4 “Grand Slam” rounds of the season and for the Plum KV Courchevel 2016 in ski mountaineering will take place on Wednesday 23 March at the great ski mountaineering party in Courchevel, on the occasion of the final of the Millet Ski Touring Courchevel.