Lausanne- Today was the day of the first stage of the 20th Millet Tour du Rutor Extrême, valid as World Championships Long Distance Team organised in collaboration between ISMF and La Grande Course. Despite the uncertain weather over La Thuile, Italy, and the change of the track in the last days, this first race of the event was really exciting.
Here below the podiums of the 20th Millet Tour du Rutor Extrême after the first stage:
Women
1. France (Axelle Gachet-Mollaret, Emily Harrop)
2. Italy (Alba De Silvestro, Giulia Murada)
3. Mixed Slovakia/Poland (Marianna Jagercikova, Iwona Januszyk)
Men
1. Italy (Davide Magnini, Matteo Eydallin)
2. France (Xavier Gachet, William Bon Mardion)
3. France (Samuel Equy, Mathéo Jacquemoud)
Here below the podiums of the ISMF-LGC World Championships Long Distance Team after the first stage:
Women
1. France (Axelle Gachet-Mollaret, Emily Harrop)
2. Italy (Alba De Silvestro, Giulia Murada)
3. Italy (Mara Martini, Ilaria Veronese)
Men
1. Italy (Davide Magnini, Matteo Eydallin)
2. France (Xavier Gachet, William Bon Mardion)
3. France (Samuel Equy, Mathéo Jacquemoud)
FIRST STAGE
Lausanne, – The ISMF-LGC World Championships Long Distance Team started in the name of Matteo Eydallin and Davide Magnini (ITA), but the overall ranking is far from being certain. The first three teams crossed the finish line with a gap of less than 30’’. The women’s teams, on the other hand, were not so close, with the French couple composed by Axelle Gachet-Mollaret and Emily Harrop attacking from the very beginning.
For the occasion, given the uncertain weather forecast, the tracers, coordinated by the Race Director Marco Camandona and the Track Director Roger Bovard, have designed the first of the three stages of the event entirely in the ski area of La Thuile. From tomorrow onwards, the race will move to the usual location in Valgrisenche and in particular the third and last leg will start and finish in the charming village of Planaval.
At the starting line of the only Italian event of the La Grande Course 2022 there were athletes from several national teams and ski mountaineering enthusiasts, with 159 male and 15 female teams for a total of 348 competitors representing 15 countries.
The race, in true Tour du Rutor style, took them to the summits of Bella Valletta and Bellecombe, with a loop including 2400 m of difference in height, including three ascents, as many descents and two parts on foot. After a close race and lots of overtaking, Matteo Eydallin and Davide Magnini crossed the finish line in La Thuile first in 2h27’49’’, ahead of the Frenchmen Xavier Gachet – William Bon Mardion (2h27’52”). The other French team composed by Mathéo Jacquemoud and Samuel Equy finished today’s race in third position with a final time of 2h27’56”. In the top five the duos of Robert Antonioli – Nadir Maguet (ITA) and Jakob Herrmann – Paul Verbnjak (AUT) stood out as well getting the fourth and fifth place respectively.
Among women, as expected, Axelle Gachet-Mollaret and Emily Harrop of France tried to leave everyone far behind, crossing the finish line first in 2h54’51”, followed by the Italians Alba De Silvestro and Giulia Murada (3h03’45”). Marianna Jagercikova (SVK) and Iwona Januszyk (POL) won the bronze medal (3h09’08”), but their third place is not valid for the ISMF-LGC World Championships title because of their different nationalities. The Italian team of Mara Martini – Ilaria Veronese finished fourth in the overall ranking but third in the ISMF-LGC World Championships’ one.
Once concluded the first stage of the event, tomorrow there will be the second competition to be held in “Valgrisa” (as the locals call it), at Alpe Vieille. For the occasion, 67 youngsters of the U20 and U18 categories will also be at the starting line to compete on a track dedicated to them.
