Tour du Rutor 2014, act two of the Grande Course

Friday through Sunday fans of this spectacular discipline will enjoy a show of unique dimensions and quality, with the participation of 350 teams representing 18 different countries. 25 junior and cadet teams will also participate, but on their own specially designed routes.

The event’s headquarters will be housed in schools in Arvier. Corrado Gex Ski Club staff will welcome competitors, the press and supporters here and provide them with complete information and technical details on each leg in the event. On Thursday competitors will be given their bibs and a briefing. The event itself will take place Friday through Sunday, with 3 Alpine ski legs involving a 7000 m elevation gain, 25 equipment changes, a 53 km route (including 26km uphill) and 3 km of mountain crests and gullies at an elevation of 3000 metres – in short, a truly Extrême competition!

Millet Tour du Rutor Extrême is Alpine Skiing at its best: a route suspended between earth and sky that will challenge the technical and Alpine skills of highly qualified competitors.To start with, on Friday the participants will climb almost 2000m in 3 uphill sections, taking them up to the 3102 m Feleuma Point and Casotto Becca dei 4 Denti, followed by a challenging descent to Valgrisenche.

As soon as they’ve recovered, on Saturday they will face another challenging leg, climbing more than 2600 m up to the peak of Arp Vieille (2963 m) and over a panoramic route to Tête du Rutor (3485 m). Sunday’s grand finale will see the skiers face the glaciers of the Château Blanc, climbing to the 3320 m Flambeau Point and the peak of Mont Château Blanc (3422 m) prior to the unforgettable long descent to the finish line at Planaval.

In view of what we have seen during the four-day Pierra Menta event, and taking into account the great talent of this year’s entrants, it’s very hard to guess who might win. Will the Italian teams of Manfred Reichegger – Lorenzo Holzknecht and medal-winning Francesca Martinelli – Roberta Pedranzini turn out to have made the right decision in skipping the classic French event to save their energy for TdR?

We won’t know until late on Sunday morning. There are plenty of big names on the list of competitors: William Bon Mardion – Mathéo Jacquemoud, Damiano Lenzi – Matteo Eydallin, Anton Palzer – Alexis Sevennec, Xavier Gachet – Valentin Favre, Tadei Pivk – Davide Galizzi…

Among the women’s teams, the French/Swiss pair Laetitia Roux and Mathys Maude may have to forget the glory of victory they experienced at the “Tour de France of Alpine Skiing”:the winners of the Pierra Menta event will be challenged by Francesca Martinelli and Roberta Pedranzini, two champions with plenty of experience behind them who have been focusing all their energy on the TdR after their record-breaking success at Sellaronda. What can we say but… "may the best man – and woman – win!"

PROGRAM
THURSDAY, MARCH 27th
13:00 – 18:30 at schools in Arvier
- confirmation of registration and bib and timekeeper chip pick-up
- delivery of hotel vouchers
- delivery of participation certificate
18:00 briefing in the multipurpose hall in Arvier schools

FRIDAY, MARCH 28th
1 1/2 hours prior to competition start, inspection of bibs and avalanche transceivers
8:00 scheduled competition start time 10:30 first team expected to arrive
17:30 briefing in the multipurpose hall in Arvier schools

SATURDAY, MARCH 29th
1 1/2 hours prior to competition start, inspection of bibs and avalanche transceivers
8:00 scheduled competition start time 10:30 first team expected to arrive
17:30 briefing in the multipurpose hall in Arvier schools

SUNDAY, MARCH 30th
1 1/2 hours prior to competition start, inspection of bibs and avalanche transceivers
8:00 scheduled competition start time;
10:30 first team expected to arrive;
12:30 closing dinner at a facility set up near Arvier schools;
14:30 awards ceremony in the multipurpose hall in Arvier schools.

HALL OF FAME
16th edition 30-31 March/ 1 April 2012 (La Grande Course)
Senior male 1. Mathéo Jacquemoud – Kilian Jornet Burgada 7:15:34
Senior female 1. Varela Mireia Mirò – Laetitia Roux 8:41:55

15th edition 9-10 April 2011
Senior male 1. Matteo Eydallin – Denis Trento 5:19:00
Senior female 1. Gloriana Pellissier – Varela Mireia Mirò 6:11:34

14th edition 3-4-5 April 2009 (Finale di coppa del mondo)
Senior male 1. Matteo Eydallin – Denis Trento 6:41:13
Senior female 1. Francesca Martinelli – Roberta Pedranzini 8:23:46

13th edition 9 April 2007 (Prova conclusiva Trophé des Alpes)
Senior male 1. Denis Brunod – Manfred Reichegger 2:27:35
Senior female 1. Gloriana Pellissier – Laetitia Roux 2:51:00

12th edition 9 April 2006 (Campionato Italiano)
Senior male 1. Denis Brunod – Manfred Reichegger 1:49:47
Senior female 1. Gloriana Pellissier – Gabrielle Magnenat 2:19:26

11th edition 9 April 2005 (Finale di coppa del mondo)
Senior male 1. Guido Giacomelli – Mirco Mezzanotte 2:27:34
Senior female 1. Nathalie Bourillon – Veronique Lathuraz 3:14:29

10th edition 3-4 April 2004 (Prova conclusiva Trophé des Alpes)
Senior male 1. Dennis Brunod – Manfred Reichegger 3:55:10
Senior female 1. Gloriana Pellissier – Christiane Nex 5:12:55

9th edition 6 April 2003 (Prova conclusiva Trophé des Alpes)
Senior male 1. Patrick Blanc – Toni Sbalbi 2:38:40
Senior female 1. Valerie Ducognon – Delphine Oggeri 3:33:42

8th edition 14 April 2002 (Prova conclusiva Coppa Europa)
Senior male 1. Stephane Brosse – Pierre Gignoux 1:42:27
Senior female 1. Corinne Favre – Carole Toigo 2:21:44

7th edition 16 April 2001 (Prova conclusiva Coppa Italia)
Senior male 1. Graziano Boscacci – Ivan Murada 2:04:19
Senior female 1. Catherine Mabillard – Veronique Ançai 2:48:20

6th edition 24 April 2000 (Prova conclusiva Coppa Italia)
(Prova Unica Campionato Italiano T.C.)
Senior male 1. Luca Negroni – Luciano Fontana 1:51:30
Senior female 1. Gloriana Pellissier – Arianna Follis 2:23:05

5th edition 5 April 1999
Senior male 1. Enrico Pedrini – Fabio Meraldi 2:32:59
Senior female 1. Gloriana Pellissier – Corinne Favre 3:24:41

4th edition 13 April 1998 (Prova conclusiva Coppa Europa)
Senior male 1. Leonardo Follis – Fulvio Mazzocchi 2:04:29
Senior female 1. Claudine Trecourt – Alexia Zuberer 2:24:12

3rd edition 31 March 1997 (Prova Unica Campionato Italiano T.C.)
Senior male (attrezzatura classica) 1. Fabio Meraldi – Enrico Pedrini 2:22:57
Senior male (attrezzatura libera) 1. Stefano Chiò – Giuseppe Ouvrier 2:06:39
Senior female (attrezzatura classica) 1. Persida Favre – Gloriana Pellissier 3:38:42
Senior female (attrezzatura libera) 1. Lucia Castelli – Simonetta Genesio 3:26:18

2nd edition 8 April 1996 (Campionato Regionale)
Senior male (attrezzatura classica) 1. Fabio Meraldi – Enrico Pedrini 2:11:57
Senior male (attrezzatura libera) 1. Fulvio Mazzocchi – Leonardo Follis 1:57:16
Senior female (attrezzatura classica) 1. Persida Favre – Gloriana Pellissier 3:07:48
Senior female (attrezzatura libera) 1. Lucia Castelli – Simonetta Genesio 3:24:32

1st edition 17 April 1995
Senior male (attrezzatura classica) 1. Omar Oprandi – Alberto Stanchina 2:16:23
Senior male (attrezzatura libera) 1. Fulvio Mazzocchi – Luca Negroni 2:00:25
Senior female (attrezzatura libera) 1. Simonetta Genesio – Anna Ghilardi 3:46:35

More information on the competition is available on the event’s official internet site: www.tourdurutor.com