Kilian Jornet continues to make history and is the first man to descend from 20 hours on the Ultra Trail Mont Blanc

“It was an incredible race for me and a very spectacular day. I will remember it for a long time. There has not been a moment since the start when I did not suffer. In the end it was thanks to all the spectators who were on the mountain that I was able to reach the end”, said the champion once he crossed the finish line. “What I’ll remember in the end is these moments. The win is great and I’m even happier, but the most important thing is the experience. The hours spent, the night with Jim [Walmsley] in the mountain and the final part with the battle against Mathieu [Blanchard]. We have helped each other and fought together; it’s something i’ll never forget. It was especially special to see so many people during the tour. He was wearing one accumulation during the whole journey I couldn’t say thank you [riu]but thanks to all the volunteers, organizers and those who were there cheering,” added Jornet.

Jornet starred in an exciting duel with Frenchman Mathieu Blanchart, who led the test for much of the day. But in the final stretch Jornet caught him and after a long time together he left him behind during the last climb of the day, to Tête Aux Vents. Finally, Blanchart reached the finish line just over five minutes after the Catalan (19 hours, 54 minutes and 50 seconds), also beating the twenty-hour mark. British athlete John Evans closed the podium with a time of 20 hours, 34 minutes and 35 seconds. The Catalan Pau Capell, champion in 2019, was unable to finish a test for which he had announced that he aspired to go under 20 hours, and retired in the Champex-Lac area.

Doublet by Sheila Avilés and Núria Gil

On the other hand, the Catalans Sheila Avilés and Núria Gil shone on Thursday in the OCC race (Orsières, Champex, Chamonix), 55 kilometers and 3,500 meters of positive gradient, which is also part of the Mont Blanc Ultra Trail program . Avilés won in a route in which he invested 6 h 10 min and 16 s, 5:47 ahead of the Reusenca.