Bourguignon Régis Ruchaud wins the Ut4M, the ultra-trail of the four massifs around Grenoble in 27 hours and 41 minutes. The 2022 winner, Green Cap, had to give up. The other competitors have until Sunday 7 p.m. to complete the course of nearly 175 km and more than 11,500 meters of elevation gain drawn through the Vercors, Taillefer, Belledonne and Chartreuse.
He left the competition far behind, at over two hours. Régis Ruchaud arrived alone, at midday, in Grenoble on the finish line of the 160 Xtrem, the queen race of the Ut4M.
It will have taken 27 hours 41 minutes and 56 seconds to cover nearly 175 km and more than 11,500 meters of elevation gain, in the four massifs around Grenoble: Vercors, Taillefer, Belledonne, Chartreuse.
“It’s magnificent, unexpected conditions, a crazy atmosphere at the aid stations, with the volunteers who are on the job day and night, the spectators on the side of the road who encourage me, it was exhilarating. It happened in ideal conditions, it was really great”commented on the trailer from Dijon, in the Côte d’Or.
The Bourguignon knew how to manage his race and in particular the fight with Alexandre Boucheix, known as Green Cap, favorite and winner of the 2022 edition.
“The first 60 kilometers allowed me to see how Alexandre reacted to me. He started very, very strong. He climbed faster on the hills. At the top of the Moucherotte, we had a three-minute gap and finally, on the descents, I regained three minutes. So, it allowed me to see that I was able to catch up easily in the technical parts and, afterwards, I raced my train, all alone”explained the 30-year-old.
Alexandre Boucheix was forced to retire after 130 km, “suffering from giant blisters under the feet”according to Esprit Trail Magazine.
Régis Ruchaud concedes, for his part, having had a moment of weakness, “a little psychological crack after 10 hours”. “Messages with friends and family helped to reboost the head, it really felt good”he said. “Relatives suffer from my absences because trail running is not my job, I work on the side so we make sacrifices. We think about that when we are at an event so as not to let go and go all the way”.
Mountain biker Régis Ruchaud started 100% trail running three years ago during the pandemic. “During confinement, I was training on the stairs to do D+ (positive elevation, editor’s note)”, he says. The Dijon runner then went there crescendo, aligning himself with increasingly long events.
“Last year, I did the 40 km 4 times but I was injured 8 km from the finish so this was revenge for me”he confides.
“It was cool, I really enjoyed it and it’s the course that I like. I did my first ultra, last year, at the Grand Raid des Cathares which had half the elevation gain over 156 km. Here we are on a 175 km format and nearly 12,000 meters of elevation gain, something technical, which I like, so I really enjoyed it and I had fun”reacted Régis Ruchaud.
338 runners set off on the 160 Xtrem from Seyssins on Friday July 21 at 9am. They have until Sunday 7 p.m. to cross the finish line. At 5 p.m. this Saturday, only three trailers have completed the course.
In total, 3,700 runners registered for the twelve mountain running formats offered by the Ut4M over four days.
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