Act 1 - MILLET SKI TOURING COURCHEVEL - Wednesday 17 December 2014

Mathéo Jacquemoud and Manon Gaydon open the Millet Ski Touring Courchevel season.

The Millet Ski Touring Courchevel (MSTC) is gaining altitude at the start of the season. Given the low snow cover on the official MSTC course, the organisers of the association "Courchevel Sports Alpinisme" took the initiative of offering a fallback course. The first event on Wednesday 17 December was therefore run on ski touring skis on the summits of the resort, starting from Courchevel 1850. The finish of this 2.4 km Vertical Race course with 500 m of elevation gain was identical to the official finish of the "Plum KV Courchevel", located at the top of the Loze relay.

For this first race of the season, 66 participants were there to enjoy this time-trial climb under snowflakes lit up by the beams of their headlamps. On reaching the summit, their efforts were rewarded by a fine descent in 20 cm of freshly fallen powder on the Loze piste and a stunning view of the fully lit resort.

Mathéo Jacquemoud of the club Courchevel Sports Alpinisme, and patron of this 2015 edition, won in 20min26s. Valentin Favre took second place in 20min38s and Yoann Sert completed the podium in 22min02s.

Among the women, victory for Manon Gaydon in 28min11s ahead of Marion Manéglia of the club Chamonix Ski Alpinisme in 28min16s and Caroline Freslon Bette of the same club in 30min49s.

In the ESF Challenge, the winners were Tony Portanier of ESF Courchevel 1550 (22min32s) and Charlotte Le Roux of ESF Grand Bornand (31min26s).

While the specialists of the discipline fight at every MSTC for the top podium places, this race, open to all levels of ability, also attracts beginners. To help and advise the less experienced, the Courchevel guides, partners of the event, are present at every climb. This Wednesday, it was the president of the Guides' Office, Roland Georges who climbed with the participants discovering this sport to teach them the basic techniques and encourage them to the summit.

As the course of this 1st edition of the MSTC was modified compared with the official course, the results will not be counted in the season’s overall standings. No matter: this fallback event was greatly appreciated by ski mountaineering enthusiasts and amateurs, who were able to do their first race and take a first stock of the start of the season.

The next MSTC stage will take place on Thursday 25 December on the official or fallback course depending on snow cover. For this Christmas event, registration will be free for everyone who comes dressed as Mrs or Father Christmas, and many gifts will be drawn by lot.