RACES
ELITES
Each new edition of the UTMB® Mont-Blanc is its own epic sporting event, complete with twists and turns, powerful emotions, flashes of brilliance, and no shortage of suspense. Which runners will be attempting to crush the courses this year? Here’s our overview of the favorites for 2021!
UTMB
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THE FAVOURITES - WOMEN Courtney Dauwalter
It is rumoured that the Englishwoman Beth Pascall is the athlete to follow this season, and her victory in the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run definitely confirms this. The title holder, Courtney Dauwalter, has been more discreet this season but has already shown the extent of her talent in 2019. If she is at the level she was two years ago, she is certainly one to watch. Americans Katie Schide and Kaytlyn Gerbin are also serious contenders for the victory, and their progression and desire to do well is undeniable. The French participants Audrey Tanguy and Camille Bruyas, the Swedish Mimmi Kokta and the Dutch Ragna Debats are also among the athletes to watch closely, given their experience and high-level performances.
THE FAVOURITES - MEN Ekaterina Mityaeva
Among the favourites for the men’s is American Jim Walmsley, the Frenchmen François D’Haene and Xavier Thévenard, as well as the Spaniard Pau Capell with 7 victories between them. Tim Tollefson, who finished 3rd in the UTMB® in 2016 and 2017 will be keen to perform well after two consecutive failures in 2018 and 2019. A potential ‘surprise’ favourite is the Russian Dimitry Mityaev and the Spaniard Pablo Villa, who have shown promise to deliver strong performances. That being said, nothing is set in stone in ultra-racing and the suspense remains.
TDS
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THE FAVOURITES - WOMEN
Stian Angermund
After a successful 2019 season (2nd in the 90km Mont Blanc Marathon and 1st in the Dolimiti Extreme Trail), the Italian Martina Valmassoi will be a key contestant in the upcoming TDS®. She should also be able to count on the Englishwoman Holly Page as a close contender, who is never far from winning when she starts a race. The American Rory Bosio will be making her comeback to the event after her second place in 2018. She knows the course and the event very well and has already finished 2nd in the TDS® in 2018. Russia’s Ekaterina Mityaeva and Nepalese star Mira Rai are also great champions capable of making a difference.
THE FAVOURITES - MEN Luis Alberto Hernando
After his attempt to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, British runner Thomas Evans will compete in the TDS®, which will be held in the Beaufortain for the second year. He should find in his wake an armada of Frenchmen including Benoit Girondel, Arthur Joyeux-Bouillon, Antoine Guillon and Martin Kern, all of which are strong contenders. They will also have to deal with the Spaniards who love ultra-running, are keen to perform well and train intensively. Others to watch out for are Borja Fernandez Fernandez, Clemente Cristofer Mora, Tofol Casterner Bernat and Marcos Ramos Gonzales.
UTMB® 2021
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