Round 12 - MILLET SKI TOURING COURCHEVEL - Wednesday 26 February 2025

Millet Ski Touring Courchevel: records are falling!  

Participation record for this 12th round of the Millet Ski Touring Courchevel (MSTC), held this Wednesday 26 February with 206 competitors at the start. Conditions were favourable for fine performances on this legendary Vertical Race course, with a few centimetres of fresh snow having fallen a few hours before the start of the race.

The timing was ideal for one last intensity session for some of the French team athletes who will compete in the Vertical Race World Championships next Tuesday in Morgins, Switzerland.

Axelle Gachet Mollaret imperial 

After Swiss runner Rémi Bonnet demolished the race record in the first round of the MSTC, during the World Cup, with 19min47s, Axelle Gachet Mollaret made her own mark by taking the women’s record down to 23min38s. She now holds a lead of more than a minute over runner-up Emily Harrop ahead of the final sprint.

Lucille Germain in 26min15s also beat her personal best, a remarkable performance that propels the Champagny en Vanoise instructor into 4th position in the provisional overall standings.

Not to be outdone, after 3 wins this season, Perrine Gindre finished third with a personal best of 27min31s, a time that confirms her place in the top 20 of the provisional overall standings and as the 6th French woman.

The fine performances of Lou Portes of the Chamonix Ski Alpinisme club are worth noting: she consolidates her lead in the U16 category with a new personal best of 33min09s, as does Mathilde Gillet, a member of Maurienne Ski Alpinisme, who dominates the U18 category by improving her record with a time of 32min17s.

Xavier Gachet still impressive  

Club Multi Sports d’Arêches Beaufort member Xavier Gachet missed out by 9 seconds on dislodging Swiss runner Aurélien Gay from second place in the provisional overall standings. With a time of 21min46s, he took this 12th round and keeps his third place in the standings.

Gédéon Pochat Cottilloux took the second step of the podium in 22min36s and keeps his 10th place in the provisional overall standings with 21min58s. 

Trail runner Vincent Loustau of team Vibram completes the podium, beating a personal best with a time of 23min38s. Among the youngsters, Tinoé Vanpé remains the leader in the U16 category with a new record of 27 minutes, just like Paul Sulpice in the U18 category, leading with a time of 24min48s. 

The costumes start coming out next Wednesday 

The grand finale of this season 15 of the MSTC is fast approaching. The climax on Monday 10 March is going to be phenomenal. Nearly 800 participants will take the start of this final costume round, with, for the occasion, a jury of experts from partner Deguisetoi.fr who will choose the best costume of the evening.

This evening, where festivities and good humour will be the watchwords for the anniversary of the 15th MSTC, will be enlivened by the Fatal Bazooka & Friends concert with Michaël Youn accompanied by his Morning Live sidekicks, Benjamin Morgaine and Vincent Desagnat, not forgetting Big Ali, PZK and plenty of surprises. There is no doubt that this final stage will be etched in memories. 

To prepare for this event and start getting into the mood, the penultimate climb, which takes place the day after Shrove Tuesday, will be an opportunity to try out costumes. Registration will be free for everyone who is dressed up on Wednesday 5 March, and one of them will win a pair of Dynastar skis in a prize draw. During this Dynastar special, a ski test will be held all day on the Courchevel 1850 snow front, at the finish of the race. 

Next date: Millet Ski Touring Courchevel on Wednesday 5 March 2025