After a three-year absence, Killian Jornet has returned to Altitoy, one of mountain skiing’s classics held in the French Basque Pyrenees, and has done so winning alongside Mathéo Jacquemoud. The world’s best racers gathered at Luz Ardiden to compete in a two-stage event on the Gavarine slopes. Jornet raced alongside the Frenchman Jacquemoud and the pair won the Pyrenean event with an overall time of 3h40’45’’ after winning today and coming second yesterday. Both today’s and Saturday’s events ended with a final sprint between Jacquemoud-Jornet and Eydallin-Lenzi. “I’m very happy with the race and with the battle we’ve had over the two days. Events like this that are fought to the very end make victory even sweeter. I’m also happy to have raced alongside Mathéo. We’ve competed together several times and he’s a great friend”, Jornet said.

Cold weather and heavy snowfalls meant that the course for Saturday’s event had to be modified. The new course, with five ascents and descents with a total climb of 2,120m involved 600m less uphill than initially planned. The circuit and the abundant snow favoured the more technical and vertical skiers.

During the early stage the leading group was made up of up to eight skiers, including Jacquemoud-Jornet, Eydallin-Lenzi, Bon Maridon-Gachet and Boscacci-Antonioli.

On the last leg it was Kilian-Mathéo against the Italians Eydallin-Lenzi, ending with a sprint to the line, running down the hill with their skis on their back, Jacquemoud was first across the line, followed by the Italians. With Kilian in fourth place, the Italian pair won the first stage of the Altitoy.

“The weather was a factor in both stages and meant that the differences were very small because we raced on short, flat stretches. It was difficult to get away. On Saturday we tried to break away but it was too hard and we ended arriving all together,” Jornet explained.

This morning was also cold and there was once again a lot of snow for the second and deciding stage of the Altitoy. From the start there was a leading group made up of the two Italian pairs –Eydallin-Lenzi and Boscacci-Antonioli- and Kilian Jornet with Mathéo Jacquemoud. They raced together almost to the end and on the final stretch it was once again Eydallin-Lenzi and Jornet-Jacquemoud who were sprinting for the stage and final victory. The Italian Eydallin was first across the line, followed by Jornet and Jacquemoud. Lenzi was fourth and in the end the pair Jacquemoud-Jornet imposed themselves with an overall time of 3h40’45’’, only nine seconds ahead. The other Italians, Michele Boscacci and Robert Antonioli, completed the podium..

“It was windy and snowing again today and the course took and hour and a half, with three uphill stages. It was a nervy race, more typical of a World Cup event than a classic which is usually longer,”  Jornet commented.

A record 640 racers took part in the ninth Altitoy. This year the event formed part of the Grande Course circuit and counts towards the mountain skiing World Cup. However, Jornet and Jacquemoud took part in the Open because the International Mountain Skiing Federation has ruled that pairs of different nationalities can’t compete in events that count towards the World Cup. “We knew from the start that we couldn’t get any points if we entered together. It’s a shame for the sport because small countries that want to take part in mountain skiing and have strong competitors can’t compete with big nations that have powerful teams. That said, we’re happy because, at the end of the day, what we want to do is race and have good races”, said the Cerdanya athlete.

Having started out in the classic season, Jornet is preparing to compete in two weeks’ time in the Pierra Menta, one of the emblematic pairs competitions in world mountain skiing. Once again, his friend Mathéo Jacquemoud will be competing alongside him.