2022 French Championships: Gachet-Mollaret and Anselmet crowned

Gachet-Mollaret and Anselmet on top of France

Axelle Gachet-Mollaret and Thibault Anselmet logically retained their French vertical race champion titles on Saturday in Courchevel. The Arêches-Beaufort skier even treated herself to the Millet Ski Touring course record.

There is definitely her and then the others. Axelle Gachet-Mollaret cruised through the vertical race of the 2022 French Ski Mountaineering Championship (the backdrop to the 7th round of the Millet Ski Touring 2022), which started at Le Praz, at the foot of the ski jumps. At the finish on the Croisette, after 3.2 km and 500 m of elevation gain, the Beaufortain champion smashed the record of Laetitia Roux (25 min 31 s) which dated from 2014, with a stunning time of 23 min 54 s. “I felt right from the start that the glide was great,” confided the 29-year-old skier. “And I told myself that it was probably the day to try to break the record. I kept trying to push again to go as fast as possible, and it worked. I thought I could do it, but going under 24 minutes…” Proof of the performance of Axelle Gachet-Mollaret, she left Emily Harrop (26min15s) more than two minutes behind, even though Harrop has had an excellent start to the season, as shown by her third place in the Vertical World Cup in Andorra. “I really wanted to finish second and Jessica Pardin pushed me right to the end,” explained the sparkling skier of the Méribel sports club.

“Axelle (Gachet-Mollaret) quickly pulled away. I’m realistic, she is a notch above for the moment, but my aim is to get closer and closer to her.” Third place went to Jessica Pardin in 26min23s (Méribel sports club): “I’m very satisfied with my performance because I caught Covid and did nothing for a week,” she assured. “The aim was to qualify for the vertical at the European championships in mid-February. I hope the contract is fulfilled.”

Anselmet, long neck and neck with Equy

In the men’s race, there was likewise no surprise for the win. Although Samuel Equy (Team Isère montagne) held him off until 1.1 km from the finish, Thibault Anselmet (Maurienne ski-alpinisme) then pulled away to win in 22 min 02 s. “I had to hang on at the start because Samuel set off very strongly, but after that it came down to physical strength, to attrition,” confided the 24-year-old from the Maurienne.

I managed to open up a small gap and I held it to the end.” Back at the top of the provisional overall standings of the Millet Ski Touring 2022, he will now try to confirm at the World Cup in Morgins (Switzerland) at the end of next week: “I have a new status to live up to, extra pressure, but my form is coming. I hope to go and get at least a podium.” Less than ten seconds behind Anselmet, Samy Equy (22min11s) took second place. Yoann Sert (Club multisport d’Arêches-Beaufort) completed the podium in 22min21s and won his first medal at a French championship.

U20 Damevin (Val Cenis) confirms his supremacy

Having had an exceptional start to the season (one win and two bronze medals in the World Cup), Anselme Damevin (23min29s) retained his French U20 vertical champion title on Saturday in Courchevel. The skier from the Club des sports de Val Cenis finished ahead of Noé Rogier – 24min14s (Haute-Tarentaise montagne sport) and Oriol Olm Rouppert – 24min17s (Club des sports de Méribel) by less than a minute at the end of an intense race: “It was very hard, I tried to go flat out all the way because behind me they weren’t far away,” explained the 19-year-old from the Maurienne. On the vertical, you really have to go all in. I’m very happy with my start to the season and I’ll try to confirm at the World Cup in Morgins next week.”

A treble of national titles among the youngest

What will be remembered from these French championships in Courchevel, in the other age categories, is the clean sweep of 2022 national titles (sprint, individual and vertical race) by the Chamonix hopeful Margaux Ravinel (29min40s) and her pigtails in U20, by the Chablais native Louise Trincaz – 29min44s (CAF Haut Chablais Morzine), already the winner of a quadruple (with the team title as well in 2021) in U18, by the Isère native of the French espoirs team Perrine Gindre (29min46s) in U23 and by Jules Raybaud – 26min36s (Team Isère montagne) in U18, himself already French champion in his age category in the individual (at Aussois) and in the team event in 2021 in the individual.

The trail running stars were on the right track in Courchevel

Also worth slipping in is the new masters title of the former queen of world trail running, the Chambéry native now based in the Champsaur, Corinne Favre (51 years old, 13-time winner of the 6000D at La Plagne) in 28min51s, the 7th place in the senior men’s overall of the four-time UTMB winner François D’Haene (36 years old) in 23min10s, who has come back to settle full-time in Arêches-Beaufort (“It’s a different kind of effort for me. This is 20 minutes, trail running is 20 hours”), and the silver medal in the men’s masters category of the Maurienne native from Valloire Ludovic Pommeret - (44 years old), with the finest record at the UTMB behind… D’Haene.

THE STANDINGS

➤ Women. 1. Axelle Gachet-Mollaret (23min54s); 2. Emily Harrop (26min15s); 3. Jessica Pardin (26min23s); 4. Cécilia Périllat-Pessey (26min52s); 5. Laura Deplanche (27min01s); 6. Candice Fertin 27min09s); 7. Julie Roux (27min45s); 8. Candice Bonnel (27min49s); 9. Lorna Bonnel (28min37s); 10. Marie Pollet-Villard (30min05s).

➤ Men. 1. Thibault Anselmet (22min02s); 2. Samuel Equy (22min11s); 3. Yoann Sert (22min21s); 4. Gédéon Pochat-Cottilloux (22min35s); 5. Henry Aymonod (Italy) (22min39s); 6. Mathéo Jacquemoud (22min53s); 7. François D’Haene (23min10s); 8. Alexis Sevennec (23min13s); 9. Paul Jay (23min20s); 10. Titouan Huige (23min22s).

Article by Frédéric Rosin / Julien Marin

Next date: 8th round of the Millet Ski Touring Courchevel: Wednesday 26 January 2022