The Derby Is Once Again A Success
Not less than 1100 registered competitors! From the start the maximum limit of participants was at 1000, but when the registration was full already in February the organisers pushed the limit to 1100 competitors.
After 16 years of existence, the Derby has become a must on the mountain scene world wide. Not just a race around the clock, it is a festival and a great gathering among the world of freeriders. The Derby de la Meije is a week of off piste skiing and mountain workshops, good vibrations, and party, as one among many competitors pointed out before he charged down from the "Dome de la Lauze" at 3600m towards the finish line at "Chal Vachere" at 1700m.
10 seconds... three, two, one, go! Every minute a line of 10 competitors passed the start line and charged the Girose glacier in downhill position, with one thing in mind - to pass the treacherous flat section without having to push or run (snowboard). A deep breath of recovery when passing the top station of the cable car (3200m) before heading down the challenging slopes of the Vallons, where things start to be serious and decisions have to be made. Which line is the fastest, or maybe the easiest, where is the best snow, and when is the right moment to charge the batteries to save some leg muscle and energy to the bitter end.
This year the Derby innovated its program. During the whole week from Monday to Saturday a complete mountain program took place. Mountain workshops such as timed descents, waxing advise, crevasse rescue, transceiver searches, race course check and finally the race, the concerts and the village festival, with film projections, African percussions, and not to forget the great Tibetan lunch after the race, served to more than 1300 hungry riders.
Sweet Victory!
The Derby de la Meije proves again its very broad image, mixing every level, any age, all sliding objects and every nationality. Some crazy objects always show up on the start line, fantastic costumes, and this year even a brave man on a mountain bike! Once again an unknown but very strong skier Olivier Meynet (FRA) took overall victory, with the amazing time of 5'28''. A very impressive performance when you know what it takes to get down these almost 2000 vertical metres. Last year's winner, Raphaël Ruffier Lanche, was fourth with half a second to third on 5'56''. On the women's side, the La Grave local Michele Veron took victory with the fast time of 8'16''. On snowboard, Pierrick Courtial was the fastest man with 8'10'', and Deborah Anthonioz won the women's class with 10'58''. As each year not every one is here to win, some take the opportunity to enjoy the run and the magnificent landscape and reach the finish line more than one hour after the start.
Rankings
Scratch Men:
1 MEYNET OLIVIER 0:05:28
2 GOBY ARSeNE 0:05:48
3 QUENET FREDDY 0:05:56
4 RUFFIER LANCHE RAPHAEL 0:05:56
5 PIASCO VINCENT 0:05:57
Scratch Women:
1 VERON MICHELLE 0:08:16
2 LUISSET LENA 0:08:56 on telemark !
3 DEVILLAZ FANNY 0:09:15
4 COTTET-PUINEL MELANIE 0:09:21
Snowboard men:
1 COURTIAL PIERRICK 0:08:10
2 ROUTENS AURELIEN 0:08:28
3 ROUGE LAURENT 0:08:57
4 MICHALLET YANN 0:09:17
5 DUTIROU CHRISTOPHE 0:09:38
Snowboard women:
1 ANTHONIOZ DEBORAH 0:10:58
2 DECHAMBRE CAROLE 0:11:09
3 ER-RAFIQI NADIA 0:11:26