ROUND 16 - DYNAFIT SKI TOURING COURCHEVEL - 23 March 2011

The 23-minute barrier has fallen! Yannick Buffet takes the lead.

On 16 February, Kilian Jornet, 2011 vertical race world champion and winner of the 2011 Pierra Menta with Didier Blanc, had set during the 11th edition of the Dynafit Ski Touring a time that seemed untouchable to everyone: 23min07s. Yannick Buffet, 2011 vertical race world runner-up and French champion, had until then been in second place in the provisional overall standings of the Dynafit Ski Touring with a very fine time set on 9 February of 23 min 29 sec. This Wednesday 23 March, Yannick of the Club Praz Montagne had only one idea in mind: to retake the lead in the standings. Having dropped out within the first ten minutes of the first stage of the Pierra Menta last week because of a physical problem suffered by his teammate, Yannick came to this 16th Dynafit Ski Touring Courchevel in very great form. From the start, there was no doubt that nothing could stop him. He devoured the 3.2 km and 500 metres of elevation gain without ever slowing down. Even Patrice Rey, the marshal posted on the last steep section of the course, could not believe it: ''I saw Kilian go by, but when I saw Yannick go by, I felt as if he was cross-country skiing on the flat''. The clock had only just passed 21 minutes and the last signaller already announced his passing in front of the Hotel Chabichou. The 23-minute barrier was certain to fall. Yannick reached the top of the climb, took off his skins in a few seconds and attacked the 300-metre descent at a lively pace to cross the finish line in a record time of 22min49s. In second place came Sébastien Bedu of the Club de Tignes in 25min41s and in third place Etienne Allanos in 30min18s.

Among the women, Mireia Miro Varela's record was not threatened, but Christine Gachet of the CAF Vanoise won in 37min02s ahead of Beatrice Rolland in 44min52s and Carali Mary McCall in 49min46s.

The whole organising team of the Courchevel Sports Alpinisme association made a point of congratulating the doyen of the event, Pierre Gruneberg, an instructor at the ESF Courchevel 1850, who at 80 years old climbed it in 1h04min23s.

Yannick Buffet’s performance promises some fine surprises in the next three rounds, and the race for the record is not over.