ROUND 6 - MILLET SKI TOURING COURCHEVEL - Wednesday 25 January 2017

1st Finnish win at the Millet Ski Touring Courchevel

The Millet Ski Touring Courchevel is going international, judging by the number of languages spoken at the start and finish of this event. This ski mountaineering race, on a 3.2 km course with 500 m of elevation gain, is to date the benchmark for vertical racing. This original concept, which lets you come and set a time every week on a marked route with an overall ranking that evolves through the rounds, has become the flagship of the organising club “Courchevel Sports Outdoor Montagne et Escalade”. The “Millet”, as many call it, is now recognised nationally and internationally, with a bit of a World Cup feel at every round. Specialists and amateurs from the various nations represented compete in a thoroughly friendly spirit.

This Wednesday 25 January, 116 competitors lined up at the start. For the first time in the entire history of the “Millet”, Finland, that great nordic skiing country, is in the spotlight with Joonas Kortelainen winning in 25min38s. He finished ahead of Julien Lodolo (26min08s) and Eric David (26min22s). Mathéo Jacquemoud keeps the provisional scratch time in 23min49s. Among the women, Corinne Favre stays in the lead. Last week she had set the reference time on the official climb in 28min33s, a performance she could not improve on this Wednesday, winning in 28min46s. Sophie Mollard came second in 31min19s ahead of Géraldine Bau in 32min47s.

In the ESF challenge, Les Saisies stood out with Michel Sibuet Becquet in 29min11s. He is now hot on the heels of Frédéric Glez of ESF Peisey Vallandry in the provisional overall standings. Among the women instructors, ESF Courchevel 1550, always well represented by Pascale Gachet Mauroz, takes the lead in 38min30.

Remember that this year ESF Courchevel 1550 has set up the “Stop if you can!” challenge to reward the runners who take part in the greatest number of Millet Ski Touring Courchevel rounds in the season. Prizes are offered to competitors, who must go to the ESF after 3, 6, 9 and 12 participations. The value of the prizes increases at each stage, with a generously endowed prize draw at the end: pairs of Dynastar skis, Plum bindings and Millet equipment. In short, the more you take part, the more chance you have of winning a very nice prize. Calling all enthusiasts.

Next week sees the season’s 2nd Grand Slam.

The second ski mountaineering round of the Vertical Kilometre (KV) Plum KV Courchevel (PKVC) will be held on Friday 3 February. At the end of the 4 rounds offered this season (20 January, 3 and 17 February, 17 March) on this 5 km course with 1,000 m of elevation gain, approved by the French Mountain and Climbing Federation (FFME), the 2017 French KV records will be awarded. The provisional best times of the 2017 PKVC are for now held by Yoann Sert in 43min06s and Géraldine Bau in 57min24s.

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

Next week, the season’s “2nd Grand Slam” will take into account the combined times of the MSTC on Wednesday 1 February and those of the PKVC on Friday 3 February. The provisional 2017 records currently belong to Arnaud Mazet in 1h09min24s and Géraldine Bau in 1h29min23s.