Les 7 Laux, a stage of beauty

Great crowds, great tracks, a superb area in the Belledonne massif with a breathtaking view of the Chartreuse, the 9th stage of the 26km La Grande Odyssée VVF sponsored by Aésio Mutuelle once again saw the domination of Spaniard Iker Ozkoidi Garcia, who covered the course at an average speed of 24.9 kph. It took him less than an hour to climb to the Col du Pet and back down the Ecureuil trail. All the way to the finish, a fine performance that allowed her to build up an extra 6-minute lead over Elsa Borgey, who covered the distance in 1 hr 03 minutes and 49 seconds. The overall classification remains unchanged, with the Spaniard and his Suzuki-sponsored leader’s jersey moving a little closer to victory with each stage.

In the Nordic category, Jean Combazard completed the route in 1 h 16 minutes and 48 seconds, putting a little more distance between him and his rivals, including Cécile Durand, who was wearing the Dog Care chasuble sponsored by Royal Canin. ‘I’m delighted to be wearing it,’ says the musher from the Tarn with a big smile, who bought a tent for her dogs for the bivouac on the Col du Mont Cenis and doesn’t hesitate to slow down to keep pace with her slowest dog.

This stage is the first in Isère for the main race and the first for the Trophy sponsored by Crédit Mutuel.

After a short welcome speech by Régine Millet, vice-president of the Communauté de Commune du Gresivaudan, the start was given at 4pm on the snow front under a bright sky, attracting a large crowd who formed a long ribbon framing the Chanterelle piste, where the mushers went up and down, starting and finishing under the same arch. ‘What a magnificent view we had up there. You don’t get that in Norway,’ said Sissel Wolf-Molmen, the Norwegian musher who was due to take part in La Grande Odyssée VVF but was unfortunately delayed by car problems. She therefore entered the Trophée Crédit Mutuel and took the lead from the outset in 1 hr 07 minutes and 14 seconds ahead of Julien Chatelain, who lost 3 minutes. ‘My lead dog has never raced here before. He did a great job,’ continued the Norwegian, who found the snow and trail really good for gliding. Boris Hannoteau, a musher from Normandy, agreed. ‘Very nice course, excellent snow, the climbs were steep but the dogs enjoyed themselves’.

In the morning, Le Collet, a small family resort celebrating its 70th anniversary, played host to the Children’s Odyssey sponsored by Crédit Mutuel and open to pupils in the ‘sports option’ section of the Collège Flavius Vaussenat in Allevard-les-Bains. These 11 to 14 year-olds raced two or three dogs on a beautiful loop of uphill and downhill sections. Paul Jolais set the fastest time in 3 minutes and 37 seconds, ahead of Joris Despesse in 4 minutes, just one second slower than Téo Mariani.
See you on Wednesday 22 January for the 10th stage of La Grande Odyssée VVF at Col de Porte.

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