February 10, 2014 (France) – Winter returned to La Transjurassienne this weekend together with a strong wind from the West. In around -2 degrees and snowfall, more than 3,000 skiers took the start at 8h30 for the 69km long freestyle technique race in Lamoura. One hour later, the women’s 50km long race took off from Les Rousses. Both races had to be shortened by the passage on Swiss soil as there was not a sufficient snow coverage for the track to pass there. Therefore the 76km became 69km and the 57km race became 50km long.

With always changing snow conditions and the wind from the back, the first group of around still over 20 athletes was still together in Les Rousses and the famous “Montée de l’Opticien” which gives a Tour de France mountain stage feeling to this prestigious cross country skiing race. However, when beginning the steep climb into the Risoux forest from Bois d’Amont at about half stage, the group got smaller and the first ones dropped behind.

Men's podium (l-r) Chauvet (FRA) 2nd, Wibault (FRA) 1st, Livers (SUI) 3rd © courtesy of Worldloppet

After the descend to Bellefontaine on the other side of the Risoux and the passage to Chapelle des Bois, only seven racers were still together in front. At this time, the first women, Aurélie Dabudyck (FRA), Olga Rotcheva (RUS), Célia Bourgeois (FRA) and Antonella Confortola (ITA) were still in front of the best men. Their order shouldn’t change until the finish. The French Dabudyck received her Tranjurassienne bell there from the race president and former French cross country skiing champion Hervé Balland.

Not far after the last uphill, Mathias Wibault (FRA) passed Dabudyck after he had made his attack which the others weren’t able to follow. He pushed hard until the end and could bring his advantage over the finish line with Benoit Chauvet, the winner of last year’s edition, placing second and Toni Livers (SUI), who will travel to Sochi on Tuesday to participate there in the Swiss relay and the mystic 50km on the last day of the Games, placing third. And also right on time, the sun came out and gave the winners a glorious shine when they crossed the finish line.

Petr Novak (CZE) still leader of the overall FIS Marathon Cup – the same goes for Roponen (FIN)

On the men’s side, there is no change in the FIS Marathon Cup ranking: Petr Novak (CZE), who is in Sochi (RUS) for the Olympic Games, still leads with 180 points, now in front of Martin Koukal (CZE, 165 points) and Benoit Chauvet (FRA, 147 points)

On the women’s side, Riita-Liisa Roponen (FIN) also stays in the lead with 200 points, in front of Julia Tikhonova (RUS) who still has 180 points and Olga Rotcheva (RUS), today’s second, who now has 172 points.

Women's podium (l-r) Rocheva (RUS) 2nd, Dabudyck (FRA) 1st, Bourgeois (FRA) © courtesy of Worldloppet

Quotes from the Top 3

1st Mathias Wibault (FRA):
It’s just wonderful. I was pretty frustrated after I wasn’t selected for the Olympic Games. I was looking for other goals then and winning La Transjurassienne, this mystic French long distance race, was really something very tempting. That it even worked out in the end it just amazing and I am very, very happy!!! It was a hard race and I knew that everything would be decided in the last part of the course which was still new to me. When I attacked at the last uphill and the others couldn’t follow I was still not sure that I could keep them in distance. Therefore I pushed really hard and my legs got cramps. But then, finally, there was the finish line and I received this wonderful bell.

2nd Benoit Chauvet (FRA):
Of course I would have liked to win this fantastic race for the third time this year. But I am also very satisfied with my second place today. In the end, I got cramps in the legs and therefore I am happy that I could still make it into the finish as second. I am also very happy that I could improve my standing in the overall FIS Marathon Cup. The race was hard, but I had good skis – Mathias was very strong today and he really earned this victory.

3rd Toni Livers (SUI):
I have missed the part in Switzerland! No, joke aside…it was a very demanding course today and the changing snow conditions didn’t make it easy either. I knew that the last part of the course would be decicive and so I tried to stay in the first group all the time. It was a bit harder in the end because of the different finish, and it felt very long in the end and I got tired. Therefore I am happy that I am third and could still make it onto the podium. Unfortunately the second woman skied in the middle of the track in the last uphill part and Benoit and me we tried to ski around her. It didn’t work out well for me, so I am happy that I could still keep the followers apart. Now, I will concentrate on the Olympics – I am really looking forward to ski there – it will be very interesting!

1st Aurélie Dabudyck (FRA):
I am really happy! It’s fantastic to win La Transjurassienne, this famous long distance skiing race! It was a hard race, but luckily we had the wind in the back! I felt very good and I just skied my race. I noticed that after the Risoux I was already alone. But I felt good and just kept on skiing my race right until the end.

2nd Olga Rotcheva (RUS):
I hoped to be on the podium today of course, but I had raced the last five weekends so I am a bit tired right now, therefore I wasn’t sure, what would be possible. I skied a long time together with Célia, but in the end she had to stay behind, so I just kept going. It was very hard also in that was today, that we didn’t have a lot of people on the track from our team to do the feeding, but I had really good skis which helped a lot. I also really enjoyed the course – it’s a very interesting and nice one! Now I am happy to head home and take some rest before I will go to Sweden and the Vasaloppet.

3rd Célia Bourgeois (FRA):
Of course it would have been nice to redo my victory from last year, but I just didn’t have the same strength as last year. Therefore I am really satisfied with my third place today. I tried to stay with Olga but around Pré Poncet I had to let her go. I knew that Antonella was coming from behind so I kept on pushing. Therefore I am really happy that it still worked out with the podium today! It was a tough race, but I had good skis.

The complete result list from today’s race & the actual overall FIS Marathon Cup standing here.