Prologue – Megève, presented by Raclette de Savoie

SNOW ON THE MENU FOR THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY

On Saturday 11 January, there was a huge turnout in the heart of the charming Haute-Savoie resort of Megève for the launch of La Grande Odyssée VVF. The opening day, presented by Raclette de Savoie, was punctuated by numerous festivities in the village before giving way to the competition at Cote 2000 for the prologue. This year, the mushers and their teams are ready to take up the challenge of this race, which is made all the more difficult by the 12,000 m of positive ascent to be swallowed over more than 400 km of racing on 11 stages through the Auvergne Rhône Alpes region.

It was in the cool of the morning that the mushers, handlers and their dogs gradually arrived at the car park of the Palais des Sports in Megève, where the veterinary team from La Grande Odyssée VVF was waiting for them to carry out a meticulous health inspection on each dog. An essential check in such an event reserved for the elite of international mushing. The day continued in the church square, where Annabel Kam, President of La Grande Odyssée VVF, and Catherine Julien-Brèches, Mayor of Megève, officially launched the 20th anniversary of this Grandeur Nature Adventure. The parade of mushers and dogs through this charming mountain village was much appreciated by onlookers, as all these furry athletes are very endearing.
La Grande Odyssée VVF’s entertainment village on the Saint-Amour meadow gave visitors the chance to discover the world of mushing, with its Nordic area, the Great North animation, an introduction to snowshoeing with VVF, and a wide range of mountain activities.

At the end of the afternoon, all the competitors gathered at Cote 2000, a hamlet nestling at an altitude of 1,380 m above Megève, to contest the prologue, sponsored by La Raclette de Savoie, of La Grande Odyssée VVF and the first stage of the Trophée Haute-Savoie. The 7km event was won by France’s Cindy Duport, who donned the Suzuki-sponsored Leader chasuble, ahead of her compatriot Elsa Borgey. Jean Combazard took the Suzuki-sponsored Leader Nordic jersey ahead of Italy’s Matteo Fossati.

Frenchman Valentin Rouvier and his team of hounds (a cross between a Nordic and a hunting dog) won the prologue of the Haute-Savoie Trophy. ‘It was a very fast course and visibility was limited, but it was a good start,’ commented one of the mushers, as the heavy snowflakes that enveloped the illuminated start and finish area gave off a magical atmosphere, buoyed by the enthusiasm of the public and the excitement of the dogs, who were happy to get on with the race.

See you tomorrow, Sunday 12 January in Megève for the second stage of La Grande Odyssée VVF and the second stage of the Trophée Haute-Savoie.

Find out all about tomorrow’s stage! Good deals, accessibility, accommodation, race locations, GPS tracking, entertainment program, media coverage… everything you need to plan your visit to one of the stages, or to follow the race remotely, by clicking here.