Felt X3 Courchevel 2020: rowing replaces swimming

Felt X3 Courchevel: A world first!!!

This year, the Felt X3 Courchevel triathlon truly becomes an EXTRAORDINARY race because of its 1st discipline: 3,500 m of rowing on ergometers in place of the swim. This first discipline will be held in the L’Envolée gymnasium at the foot of the Olympic ski jumps at Courchevel Le Praz. Waves of 30 rowers will follow one another every 30 minutes from 10 am, with an assured atmosphere thanks to live tracking of the boats in the race on a giant screen.

The Cycling leg (12.2 km / 750 m of elevation gain) will take over up to the Courchevel altiport, located at an altitude of 2,006 m, before the Trail, a 9.8 km loop with 650 m of elevation gain and loss that ends with a final sprint up the “royal road” of the altiport landing strip with Mont Blanc as a backdrop.

A total course of 25.5 km with 1,400 m of elevation gain for this extraordinary triathlon designed for experienced amateurs and specialists, in “solo” or “trio” categories. Once across the line, a finisher medal will be given to participants by the race patron Matthieu Androdias, qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in rowing, gold medallist in the double sculls (M2X) at the World Championships in Plovdiv (Bulgaria) in 2018 and French ergometer record holder over 2,000 m in 5min 45.20.

300 triathletes at the start with a quality field…

The favourites will undoubtedly be the winners of the 2019 edition of the “Felt X3 Courchevel”: Virginie Lemay, also winner of the triathlon in 2018 with the women’s record in the swimming and trail running events, who will have to train specifically for the new indoor rowing event if she wants to make it a hat-trick, and Cédric Fleureton, 2005 and 2006 European triathlon vice-champion, three-time French trail running champion (2014, 2015 and 2016), 3rd at the 2017 Trail World Championships, 7th at the 2017 Swimrun World Championships, 5th at the 2017 and 2019 Xterra World Championships… (3rd in the extraordinary Dynastar X3 Courchevel triathlon in 2017). With such a record, you will have to hang on to keep up with him, all the more so as he knows the new rowing event well, having practised it throughout his youth!!

After her win in 2019 in the extraordinary “Dynastar X3” triathlon (a sequence of Cycling, Trail running and Ski Mountaineering) and her 3rd place last year in the Felt X3, Laura Deplanche, a ski mountaineering specialist, will appreciate rowing replacing swimming. Also to watch is Selma Dhaouadi, U23 world vice-champion in Plovdiv in 2015, a serious podium contender.

Among the men, first Frenchman in the 2019 Golden Trail Series standings (4th overall after the final in Nepal) and winner of the 2018 and 2019 Red Bull 400 in Courchevel, Thibaut Baronian will be one of the indisputable favourites.

Loyal to events organised in the resort, Christophe Bassons finished in the top 20 of the Dynastar X3 in 2018, having never done ski touring before. A professional cyclist for six years, he notably experienced the Festina era, where his refusal to dope led to him being ostracised within the peloton, culminating in the 1999 Tour de France, where he suffered the cold anger of the peloton and the more virile anger of Lance Armstrong himself, who ordered him mid-race to leave the cycling world. Christophe would be regarded as cycling’s Mr Clean. Disgusted, he retired in 2001 to deal with doping issues from then on. After a refreshing experience in trail running and mountain biking, he became master mountain biking world vice-champion in 2017.

Internationally renowned for his eclecticism, Nicolas Lebrun has been part of the world elite in Duathlon, Xterra and Snow Triathlon, having appeared on the world podium in each of these disciplines. In 2005 he won the Xterra World Championship after finishing on the podium twice (silver medal in 2003 and bronze in 2002). He followed with a 2nd place at the 2009 Xterra World Championships and took the title of French Xterra champion in 2013. Currently technical director of Xterra Europe, Nicolas has added to his record with a win in the first edition of the Dynastar X3 in 2013 and a second place in 2016.

Jérémy Pouge, rowing world champion in 2004 and 2005, winner of the Red Bull Elements in 2012 in the team of Kilian Jornet, Alexis Vuillermoz and Martin Bonis, will also be in the running for the podium, but he will have to watch out for Dorian Mortelette, bronze medallist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and silver medallist in London in 2012, then 5th in Rio in 2016. Still at the peak of his form, Dorian will be going for a 5th Olympic qualification for Tokyo in early 2021.

Damien Piqueras, 2015 world champion in Aiguebelette in the lightweight quadruple sculls, 2016 world vice-champion in Amsterdam in the lightweight quadruple sculls and 2017 world champion in Sarasota in the lightweight quadruple sculls, Vincent Cavard, world vice-champion in the lightweight eight in Aiguebelette in 2015, and Privel Hinkati, selected for the Tokyo Olympics for Benin, will be among the outsiders.

Mickaël Marteau will do everything possible to add the Felt X3 to his record! 4th in the quadruple sculls (BM4x) at the Under-23 World Championships in Trakai (Lithuania) in 2012, 5th in the quadruple sculls (BM4x) at the Under-23 World Championships in 2013, 9th in the quadruple sculls (M4x) at the European Championships in Belgrade (Serbia), 1st in the double sculls (BM2x) at the Under-23 World Championships, 9th in the quadruple sculls (M4x) at the World Championships in Amsterdam (Netherlands) in 2014, 10th in the quadruple sculls (M4x) at the European Championships in Poznan (Poland), 16th in the quadruple sculls (M4x) at the World Championships in Aiguebelette (France) in 2015, 11th in the coxless four (M4-) at the Olympic Games in Rio (Brazil), 3rd in the coxless four (M4-) at the European Championships in Brandenburg (Germany) in 2016, 9th in the quadruple sculls (M4x) at the World Championships in Sarasota (USA) in 2017 and 9th in the quadruple sculls (M4x) at the World Championships in Plovdiv (BUL), 8th in the quadruple sculls (M4x) at the European Championships in Glasgow (GBR) in 2018, he should make his mark.

Albéric Cormerais will be among the favourites in the ergometer rowing event with an already well-stocked record: 9th in the quadruple sculls (M4x) at the World Championships in Plovdiv (BUL) 2018, 9th in the quadruple sculls (M4x) at the World Championships in Sarasota (USA) 2017, 16th in the quadruple sculls (M4x) at the World Championships in Aiguebelette (FRA) 2015 and 9th in the quadruple sculls (M4x) at the World Championships in Amsterdam (NED) 2016.

François Teroin, lightweight quadruple sculls world champion in 2017 after a 2nd place in 2016, completes this exceptional field of rowers.

Among the favourites, Yoann Sert, winner of the extraordinary Dynastar X3 triathlon in 2014, 2015 and 2016, of the 2015 Plum KV in ski mountaineering, of the 2015 and 2018 Plum KV in trail running, of the 2019 Eiffage Col de la Loze time trial in cycling and of the 2020 Plum MOONtain Races in ski mountaineering, has won almost everything in Courchevel except the Felt X3, which he has never entered because of the swim. It is a fine opportunity for him this year, with that discipline absent.

Also to be reckoned with are the reigning French obstacle course racing champions: Jezabel Kremer and Jérémie Gachet, the latter having shone by winning the title on the programme “La course des champions”, hosted by Teddy Riner and broadcast on France 2 on 30 July 2020.

There is also a fine field among the “Trio” teams, with the rower Flavie Bahuaud, European finalist in Plovdiv in 2018, who will be supported by the top-level skier Sydney Combreas for the cycling event and the 800 m specialist Bastien Peres for the trail running event.

The “All Star Team Lyon” will be there to win, with Alexis Guerinot, who will start with the ergometer rowing before handing over to his teammate Augustin Mouterde for the cycling. Alexis and Augustin, LM2 world champions in Rotterdam in 2016, should allow Etienne Girerd (5th at the Under-23 World Championships in Varese in 2014) to set off on the 9.8 km (650 m of elevation gain and loss) of trail running in good conditions.

Benoit Baratin, an ergometer specialist, will be the man to beat in this 3,500 m event given his record in the discipline: bronze medallist at the 2017 French indoor championships + 3rd at the 2017 European indoor championship. There is no doubt the baton will be passed with a good length’s lead to his teammates Rémi Dubois for the cycling and Nicolas Vallet for the trail running.

The “L’Avi Sourire” team will be at the start with a team of sporty women who are a little out of the ordinary (in the trio, two are visually impaired). It is under the colours of the rowing club “L’Avi Sourire” that Audrey Belkhir, 5-time French Indoor Rowing champion (visually impaired) on the ergometer since 2015 and European ergometer champion in 2017, will set off on the 3,500 m of indoor rowing of the extraordinary Felt X3 triathlon. Emilie Tabouret, bronze medallist at the 2001 European Para Biathlon Championships, bronze medallist in biathlon and silver medallist in cross-country skiing at the 2002 Salt Lake City Paralympic Games, and bronze and silver medallist at the 2003 and 2005 Para Biathlon World Championships, will line up for the 12.2 km (750 m of elevation gain) cycling event on a tandem with her guide. Dominique Guende, a multiple medallist at rowing championships until 2010, with a participation in the 2013 Marathon des Sables to guide a visually impaired runner, will take over for the final Trail event (9.8 km / 650 m of elevation gain and loss) before arriving hand in hand with her teammates at the top of the Courchevel altiport!

An impressive field for a first: places will be hard to come by!