La Grande Odyssée Savoie Mont Blanc is an international sled dog race spanning 900 kilometres (560 mi) in French Alps and Swiss Alps. It was first held in January 2005. The 2012 La Grande Odyssée purse was $100,000. The event has been held every year for nineteen years, as of 2023, and will hold its twentieth edition from January 13-25, 2024.

The course

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Musher on the Petit Mont-Cenis Plateau

La Grande Odyssée Savoie-Mont-Blanc is intended for mushers with teams of 14 dogs who are experienced in long- and middle-distance. Through Savoie and Haute Savoie, France and Switzerland, mushers from perhaps a dozen different countries, compete for two weeks of racing over a course more than 800 km long, with a change in altitude of more than 25,000 metres (82,000 ft).[1] The course takes the teams to 24 ski resorts (20 French and four Swiss). For each of the 10 stages, time-trialed (every two minutes) or mass (in parallel) starts bring thousands of spectators to the Savoie-Mont-Blanc region. The race includes three completely independent encampments: one in the first week and two in the second week.

The Haute-Maurienne-Vanoise Trophy

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During the 2013 race, the Haute-Maurienne-Vanoise Trophy will take place during stages 7 (shortened), 8 and 9 of La Grande Odyssée Savoie-Mont-Blanc in Haute-Maurienne-Vanoise. It is open to a maximum of 10 middle-distance mushers, who must cover nearly 200 km/effort and climb up 5000m of height difference in total. The Haute-Maurienne-Vanoise Trophy also includes a compulsory encampment on open mountain.

Technology

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Using a GPS tracking system, spectators can visit the race's website to follow in real time the mushers' progress. The tracking also provides security for the competitors. In addition to the tracking system, Each sled is also equipped with a calculator and a GPRS phone.

Each itinerary is simulated in 3D as a "virtual walk around" realized with the help of a camera positioned to follow a precise path along a track or sled trail.

List of winners

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The 2023 La Grande Odyssée purse was more than €25,000, the first prize was €10,000, the second prize was €5000 and the third prize was $2500. Every year from 2018-2023, Frenchman Rémy Coste was awarded first place.

Year 1st Musher Time (h:min:s) 2nd Musher 3rd Musher
2005   Jessie Royer 35:59:14   Jacques Philip   Grant Beck
2006   Jacques Philip 40:55:59   Ken Anderson   Timothy Hunt
2007 Race ended due to snow conditions
2008   Petter Karlsson 36:03:51   Emil Inauen   Ketil Reitan
2009   Radek Havrda 40:12:17   Robert Sørlie   Sigrid Ekran
2010   Emil Inauen 40:17:48   Radek Havrda   Jiri Vondrak
2011   Miloš Gonda 27:49:32   Martin Bily   Jean-Philippe Pontier
2012   Radek Havrda 39:24:12   Miloš Gonda   Jean-Philippe Pontier
2013   Jiri Vondrak 42:22:39
2014   Jean-Philippe Pontier 40:32:01
2015   Radek Havrda 22:42:17
2016   Rémy Coste 24:15:13
2017   Jiri Vondrak 20:34:10
2018   Rémy Coste 28:58:19
2019   Remy Coste 16:42:01
2020   Rémy Coste 16:10:45
2021   Rémy Coste 14:18:54
2022   Rémy Coste 14:59:27
2023   Rémy Coste 09:15:08

2011 changes

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For 2011, Finnmarksløpet in Norway and La Grande Odyssée Savoie Mont Blanc in France decided to create a new championship called the Arctic Alps Cup. It follows the trails of the Espace Diamant that join the Franco-Swiss massifs called Portes du Soleil, the Haute Maurienne Vanoise and Megève.

See also

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References

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