France’s François D’Haene, famend ultrarunner and four-time UTMB champion, claimed his first-ever victory on Wednesday on the 330km Tor des Géants (TOR330) within the Italian Alps. The demanding course, boasting 24,000 metres of elevation achieve over 200 miles, was powerful sufficient—however D’Haene additionally confronted an surprising problem. About 250km into the race, he was hit with a handwritten accusation of dishonest from Switzerland’s Martin Perrier, the eventual third-place finisher. Regardless of the drama, D’Haene powered by to safe the win, changing into solely the second French athlete within the race’s 15-year historical past to take residence the title in 69 hours, eight minutes and 32 seconds.
Tor des Géants is considered one of the crucial tough races on this planet, difficult athletes with an unrelenting mixture of utmost distances, excessive altitudes and harsh circumstances; rivals face the equal of climbing Mt. Everest almost thrice throughout the course of the occasion, which lasts 150 hours.
The lads’s race noticed intense competitors early on, with D’Haene dealing with off in opposition to fellow Frenchman Louis Calais, who held the lead for a lot of the primary two days, and Swiss runner Perrier additionally within the combine. Because the race wore on, Calais started to fade, with D’Haene overtaking Calais on the second night time, securing his win. France’s Beñat Marmissolle adopted D’Haene in, capturing second in 73:10:18.
Solely at #TorDesGeants! 😂
Apparently the sixth place male has accused @francoisdhaene of dishonest (having a pacer) throughout the race, and took outing of his race to HANDWRITE FRANCOIS A LETTER and had it delivered to Francois, on target telling him he’s going to report him😂🤣 https://t.co/TpKoMHqjUD
— Liam (@aidstationfireb) September 11, 2024
As per D’Haene’s social media, he obtained a menace in the midst of the race from Perrier, who on the time was in sixth place. “To our nice shock, François was handed a threatening handwritten letter on the best way to the race,” the put up, shared to De’Haene’s Instagram tales, learn. The accusatory observe by Perrier learn: “I’ve proof that you’ve got pacers. When you don’t give up by midnight, I’ll launch photographs proving it..”.
Okay, on a carrément la vidéo du second où François d’Haene reçoit la lettre par un gars sur le bord du chemin.
Complètement zinzin. https://t.co/2tEtIaOsSI pic.twitter.com/zhtXbvSJ5H
— Dorian Costanzo (@Dorian_Costanzo) September 10, 2024
Tor des Géants requires runners to hold all their provides, together with safety from the weather ought to they select to sleep on the course, and athletes can determine when and the way lengthy to cease for relaxation and refreshment. Whereas runners can have a crew that assists them at support stations and are allowed to run with different rivals, they aren’t allowed to have a pacer.
D’Haene’s crew responded to the letter, explaining that no grievance had been made with officers, D’Haene might have been adopted from a distance by his communications crew, who complied with race guidelines, and D’Haene might have crossed paths with different mountaineers on the path. Perrier has since completed third in 75 hours, 55 minutes and 39 seconds. On the time of publication, no photographs have been launched.
“I’m actually thrilled to have completed this race and to have completed so with a victory, which I by no means thought attainable,” D’Haene shared on the end line. “I slept just one hour in whole, and the toughest second was Sunday night time with the snow at Col Loson.”
Within the girls’s race, Switzerland’s Katharina Hartmuth has been dominating from the beginning, sustaining a file tempo all through. On target for a probably historic win, Hartmuth presently holds seventh total, with Sabrina Verjee of the U.Ok. in second and Claire Bannwarth of France in third.
For full outcomes and to observe all of the occasions at Tor des Géants, head right here.
