ROUND 4 - DYNAFIT SKI TOURING COURCHEVEL - 4 January 2012

Two new records in this latest round.

Since 14 December, the timed ski mountaineering climbs of the Dynafit Ski Touring Courchevel, masterfully organised by the Courchevel Sports Alpinisme association and its president Guillaume Prin, have become the weekly serial not to be missed. For the occasion, this Wednesday 4 January, among the 71 entrants, Corinne Favre and Mathéo Jacquemoud became the leading actors of the evening by taking new records. To begin with, 4th at the 2011 SkyRunning World Championship, 4th at the 2011 Mezzalama and with multiple podiums at the Pierra Menta, Corinne Favre of Team Ecrin Hautes-Alpes, with a time of 29min33s, smashed the 2012 provisional record held until now by Stéphanie Duc (32min14s). As is often the case in races, Corinne, always late, took the start of this time trial 5 min after everyone else and had to overtake a good many people on this 3.2 km climb with 500 metres of elevation gain. This disadvantage cost her precious seconds that might have let her get closer to the record held by the Catalan Mireia Miro Varela last season in 29min01s. Valérie Bazaud of the DSA club took second position in 33min58s ahead of Danielle Bonnevie, a Vanoise National Park ranger, in 35min45s.

Among the men, Mathéo Jacquemoud of team Ecrins Hautes-Alpes and a member of the French junior ski mountaineering team also took the record in 24min22s, just a few hundredths of a second off the one set until then by William Bon Mardion. A fine victory for Mathéo, which will let him approach with confidence the French Ski Mountaineering Vertical Race Championship on 28 January in Courchevel. Ola Hovdenak of the Norwegian ski mountaineering team took second place in 25min32s and left third place to Anthony Fraissard of the 7th BCA, who finished in 26min24s. Manu Gaidet, triple freeride world champion, finished in 50min01s.

Many nationalities were also represented on this climb, such as Russia, Belgium, Norway, Great Britain and Italy. All loved the atmosphere, the conviviality and the pleasure of ski touring by head torch.