2010

I attended October 31, 2010 at the inaugural Festival Hospital in Nant (12), the worthy successor to the trail of the Templars who relocates to Millau. Program D 75km 3977 m in the foothills of the Causse du Larzac and Cevennes.

The Profile suggests the trail to keep some energy for the last 10 kilometers announce two beautiful bumps. Weather conditions are hellish, a ubiquitous rain makes the trail very muddy.

258 trailers at the start, 197 to the finish. After starting in the midfield, I go back a large number of competitors before placing me in 10th position with km55 8min ahead of the 11th and 3min delay on 8-9th. Towards the KM60 on top of the rise of St. Sulpice, 4 riders turned back and announce to me that the race is neutralized because of the terrain was too dangerous. Only the top 5 were able to continue.
I feel like reliving the cancellation of the UTMB two months earlier!

Volunteers are working hard to find suitable alternatives to rally Cantobre. But after more than 15min-20min break the morale is gone. The rankings do not want to say from this moment ... The change of course is transparent to the trailers behind us ... but not for the first 25 or so. I walk on the pavement a little disgusted with my companions. I take my time to reach the finish and finished in 9:40.

Ranking Official
18 Sourbier Florent No. 095 14 SEM 9:11:09

A really nice atmosphere, volunteers charming and pesto soup to die for the meals arrived!

Nant - Sauclières: 15.7 km; 1:38; 9.6 km / h
Sauclières - Cross prisoners: 9.9 km; 1:04; 9.3km / h
Cross prisoners - Dourbies: 18.2 km; 2:15; 8.1km / h
Dourbies - Trier: 10.2 km; 1:21; 7.5km / h
Trier - Nant: 18.6 km; 3:19; 5.6km / h

PS
- Site FB the trail.
- Two beautiful video of the trail here and there .

UTMB 2010 or the Chronicle of a dream interrupted ...

The calm before the storm ... Chamonix, J-3

It would be wrong to say that everything had good start for me. Yet I daresay that everyone believed. The bad weather already announced a few days before the race did not appear to jeopardize the motivation of the thousands of runners (2300 in total) from around the world to participate in this celebration of the Netherlands ultraendurance prestigious Mont Blanc . It is true that since 2003, its first edition UTMB, 9500M and its 160km of elevation gain, has become a gold standard in the middle of the Ultra Trail worldwide, contributing at the same opportunity to popularize the practice of this discipline. For many, UTMB is the main goal of the season, representing the months of preparations and also, it must be admitted that a large budget.

When we fit, Ben, Flo and I to the Team The Cordée last December, we know that space is scarce. Each year, thousands of suitors are rejected, despite the selection system in place. To register for this race, and before they can participate in the draw, it must first be able to justify 5 points earned on a number of ultras selected by the organization for their difficulty. Obviously, depending on the difficulty (mileage + height) reported the number of points is not the same. A race can bring in between one and four points. Anyway, it is possible to combine one race which reported only one point, some as Ultras to Andora Ultra Trail or the diagonal of Fools to recover 4 all at once. .. But let's be clear, get those points is not very difficult ... a little motivation and training enough, the most important in the selection process, except for a few favorites is obviously lucky.

And Luck, it must be said that we had. Be selected in his first attempt at entering, that is what it is. But maybe it was all too good. Having taken a few days of vacation before the start of the race, I thought it would be a good idea to get two or three days on site to enable me to prepare myself psychologically condition and to give all ... on a course now that I think about on the tips of my fingers having realized the place this year in recognition as upside UltraSteph with the previous year (see The Experiment BMTU and photos that go with ) ... With the experience of the Andorra Ultra Trail this year, his career and his ultratechnique 112km and 9700 D +, all promised to be for the better ...

Yet a week before the big day, weather forecasts began to take shape and begin to indicate a Friday and Saturday rather wet. Indeed, when one is psychologically prepared, bad weather is not necessarily a problem. Just finally change a little equipment and motivation does the rest. With the reputation of the event and outside appearance is extraordinary that the experience of a complete tour of Mont Blanc at once (meaning the non-stop), this race has the advantage of to confront the best of the discipline, how we stand over them and it's very motivating. The UTMB, somehow, it's a bit of a standard race so it's not a little rain, wind or snow will stop us.

The weather may not be, but what about a good gastro?? Arrived Wednesday morning in Chamonix, I finally learn the hard way that an outbreak of gastroenteritis has been raging in the capital's international ultratrail. Two days before departure, spitting his guts and can not eat, it's a little unsettling especially starchy full ... Beyond the physical weakness that implies, this episode also forces me to rethink (almost) all my diet and start racing through my (re) hydration. Yet we know that test new foods on race day, it was never a very good idea, but given my condition, it may be the only chance to calmly take the start on Friday at 18.30. Did you know that digestive disorders represent approximately 60% of the causes of dropouts on the UTMB? Up to 6 hours before departure, my involvement had become uncertain. The day before, a mere 6km jog, just to see, gave me a heartache ...

Dawa Sherpa .. .

Fortunately, if a medical point of view my coming early in Chamonix I have not made that good, to be there and feel all this dynamism and atmosphere is quite amazing and invigorating! To say that became the capital of Chamonix International Ultra space of some days is not usurped! At every street corner, we come across a Star Trail / skyrunning. At each step, a different language spoken! Just in the small camp where I trained my HQ ;-), I was surrounded by Hungarian, Greek, Chilean, English, Czech, all came to the same goal ! And if you know Ultrasteph is a whole other world that you also meet a sudden people like you eventually, just 10 times more impressive! And that's what is so exhilarating, the feeling of being in a microcosm where excess eventually becomes the norm, where about a trail of 200, 300 km, a competition of 24, triple Iron Man or Deca-Ironman, bah finally, it is quite common! For that alone, I think it would have been difficult to give up and not do anything to take the start anyway. Feel that the story is just before you and tell you that you will not take part, I think it was the most unbearable thing that could happen to me.

Check UTMB, place du Triangle de l'Amitié

So overboosted of motivation that I align myself finally from UTMB, the mythical site of the Triangle of friendship in Chamonix, at 1035m altitude, this Friday, August 27, 2010 at 18:30. Since 2h, Florent, accompanied by his coach Shock and small Ema and Ben, after completing the final paperwork rejoint.Il me stopped raining since 12:00 to 1:00, even though the sky overcast. Mythical, this place is, as a start (and finish) of UTMB, the sound of Vangelis still is. This emotional side that emerges from such a departure from a race is not, make no mistake, common to all races. We do not find this particular dimension / staging events in the U.S., according to the feedback I got here and there. But there is also something special is happening on this site Triangle Friendship each year. Over 2,300 runners gathered, Mont Blanc ahead, but also all other vertices that contribute to Chamonix Mecca of mountaineering mountain. These runners from all over the world to go on an adventure, pushing their limits to complete the tour of Mont Blanc in less than 46h, sticks in the back, in pain for some but for everyone with insurance to experience an extraordinary human adventure ...

Two minutes before departure, a light rain begins to descend on the place du Triangle de l'Amitié. This does not surprise anyone. We knew ... and we wanted to believe. Who would have guessed that 20/30km later, the race would definitely be neutralized? A small review to try to spot familiar faces in the crowd, some recent exchanges with my friends Ben and Flo. "Good luck guys!", "Be careful", "we drink beers together at the finish" ... That's it, everything can start ... hah if we had known ...

poor 30 km ... Chamonix to Contaminated

The first 5 minutes are walking. Parties in the past, it is difficult to move forward and double in the broad stream of riders. The streets of Chamonix are narrow. No rush, the civilized traileurs is a boy:) Then comes the release of Chamonix. As is my custom I took upon myself to double the more people before falling on another bottleneck and being embarrassed in my vertical progress. The first part of course is very fast, up Houches, where an initial rise of 700-800m D + we wait. The rain intensified and now trees in this first portion wooded no longer sufficient to protect against rain. Around me, people stop one by one to dress more warmly, the perfect opportunity to continue his run gap. The floor of the wood is slightly muddy in places but the progress is good. It was during the first climb that I realized how some are (unconsciously?) Lightly clothed. It always rains, global warming effort, I spend my time enlarge / shrink the air intake in my goretex. Despite the rain, the fans are everywhere along the route, Alpine bells ringing as we passed. Everything is going well for me, my body responds well, no heartache, transit OK, huge sensation in the descent to St gervais ... The road is still long as I pass the first stop in the 20th km to St Gervais ... The road is long again and this time with more rainy night over 2500m will be difficult. Certainly, but first demon is defeated ...

this photo has a story, say special.

It can be seen on the site ... petzl

With my dual lighting, progress is good. Can I send a little downhill, despite the darkness and humidity. St Gervais normally ensue after 400m of ascent over 14km. A route running and uninteresting to be honest, but we have to attack it before the game more interesting from Notre Dame de la Gorge and climb to the pass of the cross of man. After St Gervais, Les Contamines arrive at the 30th km ... Already a 3:30 race and things will finally get serious !

Sebastien Chaigneau comforts Japanese Tsuyoshi Kaburaki iRunfar Photo credits (see here )

... Finally would come from ... The new grave, merciless, cruel ... UTMB 2010 is finally neutralized ... The neck of the Seigne to 62th km, mudslides have been identified, with the entire volume of water that falls on our head, the roads become increasingly impractical. The wind is also the party on the heights, over 2000m ... Misunderstanding overwhelms me ... I will have to repeat four times this poor volunteer told me that to understand that no, it was nothing like a joke ... It is the sky at that time collapses on my head ... why all this? 30 poor km then nothing? So what will it be remembered UTMB 2010, after more than 6 months of training?? Some cry around me, and I understand ... I feel the same, what a mess! Soon, however, the cold seizes me, he must find shelter and quickly ... Luckily the organization was able to open a room the "hot" dry ... Around me the impression that emerges is that of a defeated army. I start to begin the discussion with an Australian. He does not understand what is happening around him. I explained the situation and then tells her that everything is finished. In the rush, the organizers had forgotten to bring their messages in English ... I try to see things in perspective, making me an idea, but no, it does not. Ignorance gives way to anger, why did we have to stop from 30km away? After all the bad weather was experienced for a certain time??

While a bus will repatriate about Chamonix, I ponder it all in my head ... In all, around 200 runners will be repatriated from contaminants, others are stuck in 2100 in St Gervais 10km before. Only Jornet has managed to move contaminants before stopping the race. I at least have the satisfaction of having enough forward to avoid being stuck at the first checkpoint but that is not enough reason for me to find ... It is in those moments where you want to necessarily find a culprit to ease his disappointment that the conspiracy theory appears ... often. Often too, these theories are they bad advisors ... I know ...

Mat Phew restores the cancellation of the UTMB ...

hindsight, and after many discussions, I know that this theory has neither head nor tail. This conspiracy theory would have wished the organizers had left from the race knowing they would have to stop it a few miles away, for not paying competitors. Recall at this point that inclusion in the UTMB costs a whopping EUR 150. Yet this theory does not hold water. It is clear that UTMB has become a huge plant and a business probably juicy, the fact remains that it is difficult to doubt the passion and commitment of its organizers (and hundreds of volunteers who are behind) to make it an unforgettable event. Any event organizer as he knows how difficult and painful to cancel a "baby" which was prepared for a whole year. Taking a walk the next day in the press room at the invitation of Steph, I heard the version by Michel Poletti, director of race and incidentally co-founder of the event and I can not doubt his sincerity . Indeed, the organizing team was aware of the bad weather. If I remember correctly, I believe two meteorologists météofrance work with them. A threshold volume of rain had been defined over which the race could not be launched. At 18:30, departure time, the volume of water that we falling under the head was below this threshold, enough at least for the team decides to let us go ... at 19h, 19h30, this threshold was exceeded ... I think the organizers have done everything just for the race to take place as planned, hoping that it could happen ... and it has not gone ...

course the disappointment is great, but we can not compromise with the safety of riders. The drama of the Mercantour raid last year is far too present in our minds in order to criticize this decision. The mountain is what it is and we must accept it when it is too late. Obviously, I would have liked to fight with that damn bad weather and complete the test, but everyone (and myself included) would he have done? Jornet, the English prodigy said, fueling the controversy that we could go, criticizing the decision of the organizers. It may be, but the others? I understand about these "fans" but obviously can not support them. The decision to stop the race was wise. End of story.

If you can not criticize this decision, we can however regret the way this real and unprecedented crisis was managed. From a purely logistical standpoint, I think I can say that the work has been remarkable, particularly in this context and no doubt different simulations that were performed by the organization before the event had to help this fact. From a communication point of view, however, I was quite disappointed to see exasperated. Unclear messages that contradict each other, not management as a first step information to foreigners do not understand French and especially the total lack of response on issues as fundamental as whether or not there would be reimbursement of the test. Some will reply that there is a time for everything and that time was not then to answer such questions. Maybe! However calm the spirits and the various conspiracy theories by saying that this issue would be discussed later, was indispensable in the management of crisis communication. Instead, we had to do in an organization have constantly to obscure the issues and behave as if everything was perfect ... nothing more frustrating, especially when we know the cost of this race and everything that revolves around business. Of course smother fish is a communication strategy but we would have expected more honesty and transparency in this regard. The UTMB is certainly a good race, well organized, in an incredible environment, but not the only one with a ticket to 150 euros, it must justify the price compared to other test equally demanding, more plain and ... much cheaper ...

What I've not said is that ultimately, the organization has managed to establish a second start at the halfway mark in Courmayeur on the Italian side, the next day at 10am. I say successful because of a logistical standpoint, it was far from being won and we must once again despite my criticisms highlight this aspect. During the night, he indeed had to manage the successive cancellation of the TDS, the CCC, monitor the progress and evolution of the climate PTL obtain new authorizations prefectural, check the weather window, and arrange the transfer the participants by bus to Courmayeur. Not surprising in these conditions we were warned that n'ayions 2am by SMS for the lucky as me and not for the less fortunate ... The appointment was given at 6:30 am for departure by bus to Courmayeur

Restoring race canceled after ... it is 1am
(credit Matthew Thomas)

At 2 am, I admit, the beer was flowing ... For me in my head, the race was finally over, it's what we had announced the organizers. I came to UTMB and a reference time (between 30 and 35h according to my estimates), not for a UTMBébé, (to use the neologism Steph is the cause). Ben and Flo at bedtime at 3 am, we said we would point to 6am to see if they would be motivated for this new beginning ... In vain, the motivation was gone and I think I can say that late August morning, I first dropped a race. Ok, this was not the same race, but Truth Be Told, I was very sorry afterwards.

More than 110 Japanese UTMB from 2010 ...

I really admired all those runners who had the courage to overrule their disappointment and find the strength to start living the spirit of sport, of transcendence. I realized this when I went to encourage riders to head to wind, 10km from the finish and I told myself that I would have liked to be in place as a race regardless of its distance remains race and deserves to be lived fully. I chose the all or nothing, without seeing that half of all can make changes at any ... question point of view!

Anyway, I learned a lot about this issue of the UTMB 2010 and the event have helped me think about my motivations in this sport. But if a purely sporting disappointment was great (probably my participation in the Grand Raid de la Reunion in under 15 days now allow me to delete it this failure!) I do n ' Will not lose my time. Review all these friends, runners, organizer or support was really great. See and understand all the workings of this organization was equally interesting. Despite my disappointment, I spent great time and I thank you could go with you. Special thanks go to Charlotte for me and Thib hosted in Lyon before I got there and supporting me during the event, my colleagues in the Team Cordée Flo & Ben because it's always a pleasure to take part in such a competition with them, members of the team studying the impact of environmental friendly trails also members of the Team The Cordée Mat Wow, Gus, as well as Albanne Laurence, Tom Matte, Tim's not a member of Team study on the environmental impact of trail, Jean Gab, but Antoine Arnaud, Lucy and Stef Ultra for beers that we took together without forgetting Pilou. Finally special mention for Edith and Edward I unfortunately did not get to see on site and Fabian, for his vein to the Diagonal of Fools, my parents and lil brother to have moved and not ever having seen passing ! See you soon for all new adventures ...

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