Media Information
Rémi Bonnet and Tove Alexandersson triumph in spectacular European Championships in Flaine
Flaine, 8 January 2024 –Rémi Bonnet add another gold medal to his already impressive collection this Monday in Flaine (France), with another masterclass of strength and skills to win the individual race of the ISMF European Championships. On the women’s race, it was Sweden’s Tove Alexandersson who mastered the day with an impressive return to the top places of the podium at top level competitions.
Men races
Rémi Bonnet knew he was the man to beat today, undefeated on individual races for the last 24 months, and the current World Champion did deliver. The Swiss faced the first ascend of the day a little bit more cautious than in other races, to pass by the first transition in sixth place, with the Norwegian Dalsen Lodoen Trym trying to stretch the field, followed by some of the strongest men on the field: Robert Antonioli (ITA), Nadir Maguet (ITA), Thibault Anselmet (FRA), Maximilien Drion du Chapois (BEL) and Bonnet, all in less than 15 seconds.
By the time the men were on the second ascend, Bonnet said enough is enough and started to push, never looking back. He moved quickly to the first place and kept increasing the lead until the finish line, while behind him Xavier Gachet (FRA) also moved quickly to the second place, that kept until the end.
“This was the goal of the year for me, to be the European Champion, and now that this one is done I can focus on the vertical race and the Mixed Relay”, explained Bonnet.
The battle for bronze was fierce, but it was finally another Frenchman, Thibault Anselmet, who closed the podium, managing to leave Aurelien Gay (SUI) a few meters behind while Nagir Maguet (ITA) rounded the top five on the day.
“I’m happy with third today, it was a hard race and the downhills were really fast and not easy, so I managed to keep the third place, this is a good start for the European Championships for me”, said Anselmet.
On the U23 category, it was Paul Verbnjak (AUT) who managed to cross the finish line in the first place, while his teammate Nils Oberauer and Switzerland’s Robin Bussard grabbed the bronze medal. For Verbnjak, on his second year as a U23 athlete, this is the first time on top of a podium after his bronze medals at the World Championships last year both on the individual and vertical races. “This race was crazy but I am very proud. Especially on the first lap, everybody went down really hard and it was complicated, but I managed to go quite fast. I am really pleased because at the beginning of the week I didn’t feel really good, I was a bit weak, but today I had the legs and I could also team-up with Nils and help him to also finish on the podium”, said Verbnjak after his race.
The U20 race had the boys doing the same course as the Senior Men and Women, with four ascends and three descends for a total of 1230+m but in great conditions, with lots of fresh snow, cold and good visibility. And it was France’s superstar Jules Raybaud the one giving the local crowds the chills, dominating the race from start to finish. Jules has dominated the fields this season, winning every single race he has started so far. “It was a very hard race today, my colleagues were really strong, but I am proud of what I was able to deliver today”, said Jules.
Behind him on the finish line was his teammate Elliot Robin-Saje (FRA), even though a time penalty moved him finally to the third place, with Italy’s Simone Compagnoni finally getting the silver medal. Hermann Debertolis (ITA) and Edoardo Mottini (ITA) followed them on the finish line, while Max Palmitjavilla (AND) closed the top six.
The younger category, U18, saw the boys doing 820+m on three ascends, and it was Luca Curioni (ITA) who was crowned European Champion, beating his teammate Enrico Pellegrini (ITA) by almost half a minute. “I didn’t expect this at all”, said Curioni. “We all started really fast and there were a few crashes on the descends, I fell twice myself, but I was able to recover and still win”, he explained.
Arno Mooser (SUI) closed the podium on the day on the category that saw more participants of the younger categories, showing that the new generations are really coming strong. Gustave Blanc (FRA), Malik Uldry (SUI) and Rodal Haugen Aron (NOR) closed the top six.
Women races
After almost one year off the podiums -and the races- in 2023, Tove Alexandersson returned in style to the top places with a well-earned victory at the Individual race of the European Championships in Flaine. Similar to the men’s race, the first ascend was a bit chaotic, with the whole field pushing hard to make it to the first descend in the first places and avoid a crowded descend, with some narrow spots.
But as soon as the field faced the second ascend, Tove started to push hard and never looked back, knowing also that two of the strongest females, Emily Harrop (FRA) and Giulia Murada (ITA) could not start today as they were both sick.
Alexandersson seized the opportunity and pushed hard until the end, improving in one place her result in the previous European Championships, when she finished in second place. Behind her, Célia Perillat-Pessey (FRA) claimed the silver medal on one of her best performances ever, while the bronze medal was for Alba de Silvestro (ITA), who passed Ana Alonso Rodriguez (ESP) in the last descend after the Spaniard had some issues with her skins.
On the U23 category, local victory for Margot Ravinel (FRA), a great result for the two times medallist at the Lausanne Youth Games in 2020. Silver was for Lisa Moreschini (ITA) and bronze for Noemi Junod (ITA).
The U20 Women’s race saw a big surprise with Norway’s Ida Waldal claiming the victory ahead of some of the big names of the category, and despite having a one minute penalty for equipment. Behind her, Louise Trincaz (FRA) grabeed the silver medal and Lea Ancion Havet (AND) the bronze medal, consolidating both their results this season. Clizia Vallet (ITA), Margaux Mendes de Leon (SUI) and Eva Matejovicova (CZE) closed the top six.
The younger females had Spaniard Laia Selles dominating the race from the beginning to end, with an impressive display that would have seen her finishing in third place in the U20 category if she would have raced against the older girls. The young Spaniard, only 17 years old and three times winner at the EYOF last year finished with almost six minutes of a difference with the next girl on the finish line, Melissa Bertolina (ITA). The bronze medal was for Martina Scola (ITA), and also Italian was the fourth place Vanessa Marca (ITA). Aina Garreta and Emma Bogonez, both from Spain, closed the top six on the day.
IMAGES HERE (for High Resolution images for Media, please contact Media for the password)