It looked like white trail, cross country, maybe even steeplechase at times! The French mountain running championships experienced a Dantesque edition this Sunday in Briançon.
With ankle-deep snow on the climb to the Bois de la Pinée, a two-kilometer wall and 500 m of elevation gain, the athletes were put to the test on the high-Alpine trails.
In these exceptional conditions for the end of April, it was the Alsatian Théodore Klein (US Thann athletics) who won the national title after 14km and 900 m of positive altitude difference, completed in 1h03’56 of effort.
“You had to be good everywhere to win today, the course was so complete! The conditions were not to displease me being a cross-country specialist at the base, so the mud and snow I know. This worked to my advantage on the descent.”
At the finish, he maintained a 22-second lead over Ligerian and sky running specialist Frédéric Tranchand (Jogging club Veranne). The young Vosges hopeful Romain Discher (Athle sport Sarreguemines) completes the podium.
The crazy descent of Gapençaise Nélie Clément
Among the women, Haut-Alpine Nélie Clément (GH2A) responded despite the pressure: “It’s impressive to be titled like that right near my home, I’m super happy! »
Beaten by 40 seconds by the Haut-Savoyarde Christel Deware (Athle St-Julien) at the Croix de Toulouse, the highest point of the race, the local champion produced an exceptional descent to win the title of French senior and U23 champion, in front of his audience, in 1h16’33.
Émilien Menuet (Athletic club Font-Romeu) and Christel Dewalle complete the ladies’ podium, crossing the line respectively 1’35 and 1’39 behind the Gapençaise.
The first three, men and women, in these French championships qualify for the European championships in the discipline.
