Despite a very warm 32C afternoon in Annecy, 2023 World Cup Total Score winner Julia Simon and rising Swiss star Sebastian Stalder won the late afternoon mass starts at the 5th annual Martin Fourcade Nordic Festival. Simon delighted the home crowd, taking control of the competition after cleaning the second prone stage, going unchallenged to the 23:34.1 victory. Stalder’s win in the men’s competition was not as easy as Simon’s. Locked in a battle with Eric Perrot, Stalder used two spares, one less than his rival in a final standing stage duel, sealing the 29:25.9 victory.

“Merci Annecy”

Stalder, with his first-ever big international victory praised the boisterous French crowd. “The atmosphere was crazy. It was so loud out on the tracks that I could hear nothing else. Merci, Annecy!”

“Go fast from start to finish”

As for strategy in the hot weather, he added, “The race was really close until the end. My strategy was the same as always, go fast from start to finish...The hot weather was not my biggest problem, but I am looking forward to the winter when the weather is colder! And once again, repeating again, Merci, Annecy!”

Simon, Braisaz-Bouchet 1-2, plus 4-5 Jeanmonnot, Chauveau

Behind Simon, teammate Justine-Braisaz Bouchet finished second, 14.3 seconds back with Norway’s Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold third, 54.8 seconds back. It was obviously going to be a French affair from the start, with Lou Jeanmonnot leading her teammates into the first prone. Although Estonia’s Tuuli Tomingas led out of the stadium after that stage, Simon was took charge within 500 meters with Braisaz-Bouchet chasing. After adding two spares in the first standing, it was all Simon through the last standing into the finish. Braisaz held onto second with Tandrevold next and French teammates Jeanmonnot and Sophie Chauveau fourth and fifth.

Steady shooting Stalder tops men’s field

Stalder used just six spares in his victory, with second place going to the very fast Emilien Jacquelin just 8.7 seconds back, despite four penalties and nine spares. Perrot, with a penalty and nine spare followed in third place 17.6 seconds back; Quentin Fillon Maillet added to the French success in fourth place, 33.6 seconds back

Jacquelin immediately set the tone, pulling away from the field in the first two loops. His 30-second lead disappeared with three spares and penalty in the first prone. Perrot and Jakov Fak cleaned in five shots, for the lead. The veteran Fak again went 5-for-5 in the second prone, pulling 13.6 seconds up on Fillon Maillet with Perrot.

Everyone struggled in standing but after multiple spares in the first standing, Perrot left less than a second in front of Stalder. Shooting side-by-side in the last stage, Stalder cleaned with two spares, skiing all alone to victory.

Photos: IBU/Christian Manzoni