ELSA BORGEY FIRST OVER THE MONT CENIS PASS

The mass start, eagerly awaited by mushers, offered the public a triple show full of intensity, as this year the competitors were divided into three starts. It was magical to see all the teams and their dogs lined up on the Bessans plain, impatient to set off on the trail. Everyone did their utmost to finish 1st at the end of the long straight and to attack the trail in the lead. It took a lot of energy for these furry champions and their musher to swallow the 47 km and 1200 m of positive ascent on this 7th stage, the longest of La Grande Odyssée VVF. At the top of the Col du Mont Cenis, at an altitude of 2030 m, it was Elsa Borgey who crossed the line in the lead, having covered the distance in 2 hours 14 minutes and 23 seconds. With a broad smile on her face, she rushed to congratulate her dogs warmly: ‘Ah, you loulous, you’ve been giants’ she exclaimed as she cuddled them. In fact, this half-stage enabled her to claw back a few minutes from the leader, Spain’s Iker Ozkoidi Garcia, who crossed the line 5 minutes and 2 seconds later. The two rivals had taken the 3rd start, 30 minutes after the leaders.

In the Nordic category, Jean Combazard, as imperious as ever, covered the distance in 2 hrs 44 minutes and 57 seconds, while his direct pursuer took 3 hrs 34 minutes and 12 seconds, losing precious time on the long snail climb. ‘It took me 40 minutes for the climb. I’m happy’, said a pleased Jean, the oldest experienced runner in this great middle-distance race, who is running his 18th Grande Odyssée VVF. It’s worth noting that young Polish rider Daria Findzinska came in second in 2 hours 59 minutes and 21 seconds.

Among the Allianz Trophy mushers, Rémi Dessouter, who had already won the day before, took victory in 3 hours 04 minutes and 46 seconds ahead of Cyril Kaluszinski from the Pyrenees. He thus strengthens his chances of victory.

After this very sporting and technical stage, the teams spent the night at the Mont Cenis pass, in tents, on their own, without the help of their handler. This bivouac is very popular with the mushers, giving them an opportunity to strengthen the bond between themselves and their dogs. The dogs curl up in a ball on the straw and their master sleeps with one eye open under the tent.

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