Round 7 - DYNAFIT SKI TOURING COURCHEVEL - 23 January 2013

The 7th Dynafit Ski Touring Courchevel goes to Italian Dennis Brunod and Canadian Melanie Bernier.

But how far will the Dynafit Ski Touring Courchevel (DSTC) go? A real success for this original and friendly ski mountaineering competition, which began two years ago at the initiative of the association “Courchevel Sports Alpinisme”. Who would have believed that 2 years later, this night ski mountaineering time trial held every Wednesday evening of the winter, starting from Le Praz to Courchevel 1850 over a 3.2 km course with 500 m of elevation gain, would keep attracting more and more people? Today, who in the French ski mountaineering world has never heard of or does not know the DSTC? Everyone can take part whatever their level and everyone finds their pleasure: novices discover a new activity, amateurs try to improve their time and compare themselves with others or set themselves a new challenge, and specialists fight for the record. A competition à la carte: depending on your form, the weather and your schedule, everyone is free to decide which Wednesday to come and take part. Even an hour before the start it is possible to say “right, I’m in”, as registrations are taken on site a few minutes before the first start. With 1,082 starts and 620 ranked competitors last year, the DSTC has become the ski mountaineering race with the most participants in France and now attracts foreign athletes.

Proof of that, among the 72 entrants in this 7th edition of the DSTC, is the participation of Italian Adriano Greco, 5-time winner of the Pierra Menta (in 1989, 90, 91, 93 and 94), who finished this climb in 31min30s.

But also the arrival of members of the Italian and Canadian national teams, who swept the top places on the podium, starting with Italian Dennis Brunod , multiple relay world champion and 2nd at the Courchevel X-Trail 2012, who won this 7th round in 24min32s ahead of his compatriot Franco Collé , who finished in 25min18s, and Canadian Reiner Thori in 25min39s.

Among the women, Canadian Melanie Bernier won for the second time in a row in 30min29s ahead of Blandine Du Crest of the Courchevel Sports Alpinisme club, currently leading the 2013 French ski mountaineering cup, who finished in 32min37s, and Katell Guiziou of CAF Albertville in 37min12s.