27 January 2026

French teams overwhelming favourites at the Altitoy Millet

This weekend, in the French Pyrenees, the first 2026 stage of La Grande Course will take place. The prestigious ski mountaineering circuit, which brings together some of the most famous classic races of the “Old Continent”, will kick off with a two-day event laid out across the massifs of the Tourmalet, Pic du Midi and Luz Ardiden.

On Saturday and Sunday, some of the best specialists in the discipline will be hunting for valuable points in the 16th edition, where the team to beat will be the French duo Xavier Gachet and William Bon Mardion. Following the last-minute withdrawal of the Italians Matteo Eydallin – Davide Magnini due to a physical issue affecting the Piedmontese champion, the two athletes “born in Arêches-Beaufort” will face their most credible rivals in two other strong French pairings: Samuel Equy – Anselme Damevin and Julien Michelon – Yoan Sert. Outsider status goes to the Italians William Boffelli and Alex Oberbacher.

The French are favourites in the women’s race as well, with the very strong team composed of Axelle Mollaret – Sophie Mollard. Also worth keeping an eye on are the pairings Perrine Gindre – Annelise Desjacques, Alice Maniezzo – Clizia Vallet and Malen Osa – Martina Cumerlato.

Once the 16th edition of the Altitoy is in the books, the La Grande Course circuit will move at the end of February to the Belluno Dolomites for the Transcavallo (27–28/02), the new entry of this edition. The overall winners will instead be decided at the end of March on the Rutor Glacier and the mountains of Valgrisenche at the legendary Millet Tour du Rutor Extrême (28–29/03).