ROUND 9 - MILLET SKI TOURING COURCHEVEL - Wednesday 15 February 2017

Millet Ski Touring Courchevel 2017: Florent Perrier takes the record in the 9th round!

This Wednesday 15 February, conditions were idyllic for the 9th round of the Millet Ski Touring Courchevel. Success was there, with a record turnout of 143 ski mountaineers at the start of this 3.2 km course with 500 m of elevation gain between Le Praz and Courchevel 1850. With such a crowd, the last 5 dates promise to be thrilling.

The final climb on Thursday 23 March is eagerly awaited, for a party with the traditional fancy-dress ascent that will bring together more than 500 participants. As a bonus, Patrick Sébastien will set the evening on fire in a crazy atmosphere.

But while waiting for the big day, the race is in full swing between amateurs and specialists who meet every Wednesday since 21 December to try to achieve their goals. For the ski touring top dogs, the aim is to take the 2017 season record; for the others, the motivation lies in gradually improving their times but above all in enjoying themselves. For this 9th round, Florent Perrier, holder of 8 World Champion titles, 6 European Champion titles and 10 French Champion titles in ski mountaineering, won in 23min32s. Eric David took second place in 25min21s ahead of Rémi Berchet , beaten by a few hundredths of a second.

Among the women, Corinne Favre continues her solo run. For the 6th time this season she climbed onto the top step in 28min48s. Elsa Nodet (31min02s) and Stéphanie Pommat (33min45s) completed the podium.

In the provisional 2017 overall standings, the times have been turned upside down: Florent Perrier takes the lead (23min32s) ahead of Mathéo Jacquemoud (23min49s) and Gédéon Pochat (24min27s). Corinne Favre dominates among the women in 28min33s ahead of Elsa Nodet (31min02s) and Sophie Mollard (31min21s). These podiums are likely to change given the €8,000 in prize money that will reward the winners and the €4,800 in vouchers for the best in each age category.

In the ESF challenge, fine wins in this 9th round for Pascale Gachet-Mauroz (ESF Courchevel 1550) in 38min07s and Frédéric Côte (ESF Peisey Vallandry) in 29min10s.

This week sees round III of the Plum KV Courchevel and the season’s Grand Slam.

The third ski mountaineering round of the Vertical Kilometre (KV) Plum KV Courchevel (PKVC) will be held on Friday 17 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.

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

This “3rd Grand Slam” of the season will take into account the combined times of the MSTC on Wednesday 15 February and the PKVC on Friday 17 February. The 2017 “Grand Slam” records are for now held by Arnaud Mazet (1h09min24s) and Géraldine Bau (1h29min23s).