Red Bull X-Alps
Lead Group Sets Sights on Mont Blanc
Press Release / 25.06.2021
Europe’s longest glacier was today the setting for Day 6 of the world’s toughest adventure race. Last night, race leader Chrigel Maurer (SUI1), followed by Patrick von Känel (SUI2) tagged the Turnpoint of Fiesch in the Aletsch Arena shortly after 8PM. Then, just before the clock stopped at 10:30PM, France’s Benoît Outters (FRA2) reached the Swiss Alpine village too.
The resort is the departure point for summer Alpinists and tourists visiting the mighty Aletsch glacier, which carves its way down from the famous peaks of the Bernese Oberland.
All three athletes were quick to hike back into the mountains this morning, climbing up towards the shoulder of Bettmerhorn, 2,858m, all hoping for a good run along the Rhône Valley, which in good flying weather, can be a fast run in the air. The ridge faces south – so when the sun hits, athletes can expect good thermal conditions to gain height and stay high. But that’s a big if, and the weather in this race has proved anything but reliable.
As they hiked up, the father of Chrigel Maurer and the mother of Patrick von Känel could be seen chatting near the Turnpoint signboard – two proud parents, willing their sons on.
There is no set route in this race. Athletes face a multitude of difficult decisions every hour. Follow the path or forge a direct line straight up the mountain? Launch into the air and risk sinking like a stone, or wait for a sun that may never come?
Such was the dilemma that faced the 26-year-old Patrick von Känel late this morning. After choosing his own line up the mountain he decided to rest while Maurer and Outters launched their wings and glided 25km to Visp. As von Känel waited, Maurer and Outters landed, transitioned to hike mode and began to march back into the mountains. Von Känel eventually launched around midday, hoping to avoid another gruelling hike. (So far, he’s spent almost 50 hours hiking in this race, covering 245km on foot, so perhaps his reluctance was forgivable). Was patience the right decision?
“We had a very long day yesterday and hiked 70km, so he was quite exhausted,” his supporter Andy Jäggi said. “We had either two options, fly down like Chrigel then hike up again but that would only gain 15km, and 15km is only half an hour in the air. So he could have pushed like the others, or rested. We decided to rest and in flight he hopes to catch up – if it’s thermal for 7hrs, he could fly 200km!”
Someone who demonstrated that big flights in the air do happen– even with the weather as unforgiving as it has been is Thomas Friedrich (AUT3), who yesterday managed to fly almost 200km between Lermoos and Säntis along the Arlberg valley, which has catapulted him back up the rankings. By mid-afternoon he was lying in 14th place.
Nicola Donini (ITA3) wasn’t so fortunate. Despite his best efforts to avoid forbidden airspace he encroached into the no-fly zone around Innsbruck and was handed a mandatory 48 hour penalty which he will serve from Sunday after pulling a Night Pass for tonight. This means that he must sit out two days, which will almost certainly leave him in last place. But rather than quit immediately he has chosen to stay in the fight.
“It’s a nice act of sportsmanship,” explained race director Christoph Weber. “If he had quit, it would have put the team in last place in greater danger in the next round of elimination.”
This morning at 6AM Nick Neynens (NZL) became the second athlete to be eliminated from the race. The next cut is due to take place 48 hours later.
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