Round 14 - MILLET SKI TOURING COURCHEVEL - Monday 10 March 2025

The anniversary of the 15th Millet Ski Touring Courchevel will go down in balaclava history!

“Perfect” will be the word used to describe this 15th edition of the Millet Ski Touring Courchevel (MSTC). The frantic pace of this season was set right from the outset with the hosting of the Ski Mountaineering World Cup, whose Vertical Race served as the 1st round of the MSTC. After that, there was no rest for the president of the organising club Guillaume Prin and his whole team, with the help of the Sports Department, the grooming teams of the Société des 3 Vallées and those of the commune, to maintain a quality track for the 13 rounds that followed. They ran back to back under a starry sky, with a full MOON on four occasions during the Plum specials. Record participation figures were recorded.

250 participants turned up for the penultimate round on Wednesday 5 March, dubbed “Mercredi-Gras” to get the costumes ready for the grand finale on Monday 10 March. It was a magnificent season in which the entire original programme took place on the official 3.2 km course with 500 m of elevation gain between Courchevel Le Praz and Courchevel 1850, with 14 rounds completed, 2,745 starts, 1,526 different participants ranked and 35 nations represented.

Ever more participants and incredible costumes for the finale…

Over 15 seasons, 26,885 participants have come to tackle this legendary MSTC course every Wednesday of the winter, which has become the benchmark Vertical Race (VR) for all ski tourers.

International elites, specialists, amateurs and newcomers rubbed shoulders to break records, fine-tune their fitness or, for the vast majority, simply to enjoy themselves. For the finale, festivities are the order of the day, with the traditional appearance of costumes for the delight of the spectators.

Fine weather and warmth were on the menu this Monday 10 March, with record participation. More than 700 participants were gathered on either side of the famous cascade start.

There was no shortage of imagination to surprise and try to win the trophy for best costume, awarded by Deguisetoi.fr 2025, a very symbolic but highly coveted prize. As every year, the choice proved difficult for the jury chaired by Léa Rodriguez, communications manager at partner brand Deguisetoi.fr. After lengthy deliberation, the decision went to Noëlle Mater, dressed in traditional Chinese costume. But many costumed competitors could have laid claim to the prize.

8th title and a new record for Axelle Gachet Mollaret

Although conviviality and good humour take precedence over the clock for the vast majority of competitors at the finale, a few athletes had come to secure their place on the podium, or even to challenge the record.

This final round was won by Noélie Gautier of team Isère Montagne in 30min41s. She finished ahead of Chamonix Ski Alpinisme member Lou Portes, second in 35min46s. Sylvie Turbil of team Maurienne Ski Alpinisme completes the podium of this 14th round in 34min34s.

After dazzling in the 12th round on Wednesday 26 February by setting the new women’s race record in 23min38s, reigning Vertical Race World Champion Axelle Gachet Mollaret claimed her 8th title. Current Ski Mountaineering World Cup leader Emily Harrop, gold medallist at the World Championships in the mixed relay with Thibault Anselmet last week in Morgins, takes second place in 25min42s. Austrian Sarah Dreier takes 3rd place in the overall standings in 25min57s. Lucille Germain, who qualified for the Vertical Race at the 2025 Ski Mountaineering World Championships, where she finished 7th, and is an instructor at ESF Champagny en Vanoise, just missed the podium in 26min15s and finished ahead of Italian Alba De Silvestro in 5th by a mere 1 second. 

5th win for Swiss runner Rémi Bonnet with a phenomenal record to boot

He had announced his intentions: to go under 20 minutes, and he did it! In the Vertical Race of the Courchevel Ski Mountaineering World Cup, Swiss runner Rémi Bonnet, reigning 2025 Vertical Race World Champion, literally demolished his own record with a time of 19min47s. He wins the Raymond et René Millet Crystal Trophy (named after the founders of partner company Millet) for the 5th time at the prize-giving ceremony of this season 15 of the MSTC. His compatriot Aurélien Gay, bronze medallist in the Vertical Race at the 2025 World Championships, takes second place in 21min38s, followed by a whisker by Xavier Gachet, 3rd in 21min45s. Paul Jay, a member of the French team, and Belgian Maximilien Drion du Chapois share the places of honour in the same second.

For this final stage of the season, Paul Jay wrote his name in the MSTC roll of honour with a time of 25min30s. The podium places were fiercely contested between Paul Sulpice of Méribel, credited with 26min52s, and Jules Savignac of the Alticim club, 48 hundredths behind. Pole Sebastian Druszkiewicz, a loyal MSTC regular, takes a creditable 4th place in 27min08s.

Fatal Bazooka & Friends left their mark on this 15th finale

They went all out to celebrate the anniversary of the 15th Millet Ski Touring Courchevel. Michaël Youn, accompanied by his Morning Live sidekick Benjamin Morgaine and joined by Big Ali and PZK , came to get the delirious crowd singing, shouting, screaming and moving, most of them wearing balaclavas. This closing party was by far the wildest in the whole history of the MSTC finales, with a few pie-in-the-face moments along the way!

It was in front of this effervescence and enthusiasm that the mayor of Courchevel Jean-Yves Pachod and the director of the Tourist Office Alexia Lainé officially announced the return of the Ski Mountaineering World Cup to Courchevel in January 2026, a 16th edition that already promises to be under the best auspices.

Official overall standings 2025:

Men:
1: Rémi Bonnet (Switzerland) > 19min47s
2: Aurélien Gay (Switzerland) > 21min38s
3: Xavier Gachet > 21min45s
4: Paul Jay > 21min46s
5: Maximilien Drion Du Chapois (Belgium) > 21min46s

Women:
1: Axelle Gachet Mollaret > 23min38s
2: Emily Harrop > 25min42s
3: Sarah Dreier (Austria) > 25min57s
4: Lucille Germain > 26min15s
5: Alba De Silvestro (Italy) > 27min28s

U16 categories: Lou Portes > 33min09s / Tinéo Vanpé > 27min00s
U18 categories: Mathilde Gillet > 32min17s / Paul Sulpice > 24min48s
U20 categories: Cidant Yuzhen (China) > 27min25s / Bu Luer (China) > 23min41s
U23 categories: Malen Osa Ansa (Spain) > 26min38s / Thomas Bussard (Switzerland) > 21min52s
O24 categories: Axelle Gachet Mollaret > 23min38s / Rémi Bonnet (Switzerland) > 19min47s
O40 categories: Marianna Jagercikova (Slovakia) > 27min49s / William Bon Mardion > 22min41s
O60 categories: Sylvie Turbil > 34min34s / Jean-Pierre Amigues > 28min46s