2014 World Cup – France: Conclusion

Frist words of conclusion have to be for the local organizer of the PWC Cœur de Savoie. Weather forecasts have had a hard time, organizers have had a hard time, and it started right on the registration day when the prediction for the whole upcoming week was awfull. After the closing ceremony, it must be said this organization has been more than excellent, a full success. They build a great village with lots of animations, booths attended by local producers, hundreds of children visiting and discovering our activity, bands playing, a very large ballroom for breakfast and dinners, plenty of shuttles and tons of volunteers, more than 40 sponsoring partners… Impressive.


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2014 World Cup – France: Saturday 31, 47km Race to Goal

And we bagged a fifth tast for the Coeur de Savoie event! None of them have been easy to set for the organizers. This one in particular has played a lot with their nerves. Friday evening the weather forecast for Saturday was looking fantastic. Saturday morning the forecast dimmed to a nice day. And then we had to face real life when arriving at the HQ: fully overcast sky by a thick cloud layer. The departure of the shuttles was delayed hour by hour, until we drove up to Ebaudiaz at 1pm.

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2014 World Cup – France: Friday 30, 46km Race to Goal

Another task today! In spite of all weather forecasts, this comp managed to break the spell that usually doomed events in the Alps. Nevertheless, given the wind strength prediction, taking into acount the risk for thunderstorms in the early afternoon, the organizer set a short task involving so many turnpoints that I cannot recount how many, also cutting any possibilities for radical options on the course.


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2014 World Cup – France: Thursday 29, 87km Race to Goal

Now the competition is running at a good pace: two tasks in two days! Montlambert is known all over France to be site that is protected from North wind, facing South. And the forecast was right, we had 20km/h North wind higher up, above 1500m. Later along the task breezes and valley winds would be quite strong as well. Nevertheless we were proposed a rather long task: Grésy, Brame-Farine or Allevard, Ebaudiaz, Coise and goal at Chamousset.

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2014 World Cup – France: Wednesday 28, 65km Race to Goal

Did you know that Saint-Hilaire, low cloudbase, North wind and competition do not blend well? Maybe it is only about Saint-Hilaire and comps. But, well, hey, that is an opinion. Today we moved the comp to Saint-Hilaire and that saved the day, maybe the altogether.


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