---

Storm on the Col

Rob Howard / 04.07.2007

Day three began later than originally planned. There was no 4am start to climb into the high mountains, instead this stage was replaced by trail running section in the forest above Les Contamines, starting at 9am in a park on the outskirts of town.

The original plan was for the afternoon’s 14km run along the Tour du Mont Blanc Trail across to Les Chapieux to be the days trail run stage, but this was now switched to being the main activity of the day. (With the highest points score.) It may not be high mountaineering, but the route still crossed two high passes, and in the bad weather it was to prove challenging enough!

The weather did relent as the teams gathered for the trail run start in the morning. The mountains were still wreathed in cloud and the snow line was hundreds of metres lower than usual, but at least it was only raining lightly. For this race so far that’s ‘good weather’!

With yesterday’s long mountain bike ride behind them a fast trail run would test team strategy and endurance. The winner of the first trail run Augusti Amador (a 3 times world mountain running champion) led on the steep switchback climb to the ….. refuge, but he was then passed by Greg Vollet of Koxx Quechua.

“I just tried to keep up with him on the climb, but he was very fast,� Vollet said. “I think I was 30 seconds behind him at the top, but then on the flat and rocky trail I passed him and left him behind on the descent. I was just going down as fast as I could, but the British racer behind me was nearly a minute quicker coming down. He nearly caught me!�

See All Stories On This Race