Ludovic BOURGEOIS wins the 82km trail
Ludovic BOURGEOIS wins the 82km trail
Under a cool, misty sky, 2,800 Transju’Trails competitors took to the starting line for their mountain adventure. From 5:30 am to 11:00 am, wave after wave of runners surged forth between Les Rousses and Morez. The undisputed hero of this 2024 edition was none other than the conqueror of the grueling 82 km course: Ludovic Bourgeois.
The 82 km
5:30 am: the start gun fires in Les Rousses just as dawn breaks through a
brisk drizzle. The two front-runners, Ludovic Bourgeois, manager of Team Transju-Intersport, and Dimitri Morel-Jean of Lons Athlé 39, set a blistering pace right out of the gate: this race was going to be fast.
After 43 km and 3 hours 42 minutes of hard running, at the Morez checkpoint, only 27
seconds separated the two trail runners. Sadly, Dimitri was forced to drop out due to a health issue.
Ludovic Bourgeois soared ahead... and crossed the line as the champion in 8h28'37''. Benjamin Lamotte took 2nd place in 8h59'00, and Samy Revillet claimed 3rd with a time of 9h07'19''.
The 62 km
The pace was fierce from the very first kilometers, but between km 15 and km 42, Jean-François Pugin, having paced himself smoothly from the start, gained 5 spots to seize the lead, 1'09'' ahead of Pablo Florent and Ludovic Bailly Basin. In Prémanon at km 58.5, Jean-François held steadfast at the front, opening up a commanding 17'13'' lead over 2nd-place Baptiste Coatantiec, and powered through all the way to the finish line. He stopped the clock at 5h 51' 49''. The podium was completed by Baptiste Coatantiec and Pablo Florent.
"It was awesome. Great temperatures, an exceptional trail, good grip—it was super fun, really great. I had a blast out there. The start this morning in these conditions wasn't too tough; I started out easy, and the first section was quite runnable, so it felt pretty smooth all the way through. It was slippery though, and I took a few spills!" said Jean-François Pugin.
A stunning debut for Team Transju – Intersport
For their very first race, Team Transju – Intersport made a sensational splash in the trail running scene with remarkable results, highlighted by Ludovic Bourgeois taking the crown on the 82 km in 8h28'37'', Cloé Pagnier finishing as 1st woman on the 15 km in 1h17'58'', Ludovic Bailly Basin claiming 4th on the 62 km, and Doryan Boillon securing 3rd on the 10 km.
Despite challenging weather, wild slides, and mud-soaked feet, big smiles and the legendary warm spirit of Transju' events lit up this unforgettable edition!
Photo Credit: Benjamin Becker
