ACT 13 - MILLET SKI TOURING COURCHEVEL - Wednesday 20 March 2019

The 2019 Millet Ski Touring Courchevel final "in the air" with Magic System!

It was "Magic" this Wednesday 20 March for the great fancy-dress final of the 2019 Millet Ski Touring: 487 participants registered, 419 classified at the finish of the 13th and final round of the season. Already 9 years on, and still an enormous success that lasts every Wednesday of the winter season from mid-December to the end of March for this ski mountaineering race. This edition recorded a new participation record with 1,822 starts for 965 different classified competitors. This 3.2 km climb with 500 m of elevation gain has become the benchmark for all ski tourers, where specialists, amateurs and newcomers rub shoulders in a spirit of friendship to break records, fine-tune their training or simply enjoy themselves, as most of them do. For 4 years now, the Millet Ski Touring Courchevel (MSTC) has closed in jubilation with, as tradition demands, fancy dress for the finale, to the great delight of the spectators. This year, the jury made up of experts from our partner Deguisetoi.fr awarded the trophy for best costume of 2019, along with a year of free costumes, to Sébastien Malaval, dressed as a giant Tyrannosaurus, but even at that level it was tough to separate the costumed contenders, notably this fabulous fir tree or this enormous Kinder.

Although this final was held under a festive banner, some participants tried everything to set their best time of the season. As proof, Mathis Contamine and Théo Arcous did not hesitate to brave the cold, stripping down as much as possible and shedding weight in their fluorescent green Mankinis to finish in a little over 53 minutes. You also needed a trained eye to recognise Philippe Mugnier, the mayor of Courchevel dressed as D’Artagnan, or Laurent Brochard, 1997 road cycling world champion, costumed as a Tyrolean.

Even though conviviality and good humour took precedence over the clock for the vast majority of competitors, a few athletes had come to secure their place on the podium and even to threaten the record.

2019 records for Axelle Mollaret and Rémi Bonnet. Performance of the day for Joris Perillaz Pessey!

The big novelty of this 2019 final was the start location, moved to the opposite end from the official one because of works on the site. All the participants were positioned on either side of the first 200 metres of the course, and only the top 10 men and women of the provisional overall standings started behind the line, out of respect for the legal distance and for the validation of times. At the starting signal, the top 10 therefore set off through this great guard of honour holding multicoloured flares, followed by all the competitors in a festive atmosphere.

The 2 leaders of the MSTC overall standings, Axelle Mollaret, reigning world ski mountaineering champion in the individual event and silver medallist in the Vertical Race, and the Swiss Rémi Bonnet, bronze medallist in the Vertical Race at the same world championships, were present but preferred to cheer on the participants and enjoy the party to save some energy for the last World Cup round this weekend. At the finish of this final round, Joris Perillaz Pessey, a member of the French ski mountaineering team, pulled off a double. Not only did he win in the excellent time of 22min20s, but he also made a "remontada" in the final overall standings to take second place. William Bon Mardion took 2nd place of the evening with his best time of the season, 23min07s. Gédéon Pochat completed the podium in 23min32s.

In the end, Rémi Bonnet won the 2019 Raymond and René Millet crystal trophy (the founders of the partner company Millet) and the 2,000 euros prize money with the season record of 22min05s ahead of Joris Perillaz Pessey and Xavier Gachet, individual bronze medallist at the World Championships, who dropped to 3rd position in 22min41s, with William Bon Mardion missing out in 4th place despite his performance of the day.

Among the women, Laura Deplanche won this 13th round in 28min32s, her 2nd victory this season, ahead of Sophie Mollard second in 29min28s and Célia Perillat Pessey third in 29min45s.
In the final scratch ranking, Axelle Mollaret confirmed her stranglehold on this competition and completed the hat-trick on the Raymond and René Millet Trophy with the best women’s time of 2019, 25min58s, ahead of the Russian Ekaterina Osichkina (26min58s), junior world champion in Sprint, Vertical Race and Individual, who made this last climb at a relaxed pace as a pirate, and Laura Deplanche (27min32s).

The excellence of the 2019 vintage should be noted. The records of Killian Jornet and Laetita Roux trembled this season. There is no doubt that, with the evolution of ski mountaineering and the reputation of the MSTC, they will be beaten next season.

Among the ESF instructors, the final standings are as follows:

- Men’s podiums: Joris Perillat Pessey (ESF La Clusaz) in 22min20s ahead of Arthur Blanc (ESF Arèches) in 23min51s) and Florian Sautel (ESF Valmorel) in 25min12s.

- Women’s podiums: Laura Deplanche (ESF La Toussuire) in 27min32s ahead of Lorna Bonnel (ESF La Toussuire) in 28min16s and Armelle Favre (ESF Pralognan La Vanoise) in 35min58.

In total, 89 instructors classified from more than 20 schools.

To close this 9th season in style, the Ivorian group Magic System, after setting the 2018 football World Cup alight, came to put on a show in Courchevel for 1h30, getting more than 1,200 spectators in the Envolée gymnasium moving, singing and raising their hands "in the air". An exceptional success crowned by an enormous triumph, which Guillaume Prin, president of the organising club "Courchevel Sports Outdoor montagne et escalade", is delighted about.

For the "Decima" in 2020, expect a grand vintage. The whole team is already thinking about the innovations to bring to the competition and about the final, which promises a level never reached before.

2019 overall standings:
Men:
1: Rémi Bonnet > 22min05s
2: Joris Perillat Pessey > 22min20s
3: Xavier Gachet > 22min41s
4: William Bon Mardion > 23min07s
5: Yoann Sert > 23min27s

Women:
1: Axelle Mollaret > 25min58s
2: Ekaterina Osichkina > 26min58s
3: Laura Deplanche > 27min31s
4: Corinne Favre > 27min36s
5: Lorna Bonnel > 28min17s