There will be no fifth coronation on the mythical Diagonale des Fous for François D’Haene, on October 21 in Reunion. The Savoyard ultra-trailer indeed published a video on his Instagram account on Sunday to announce his package for this 2022 edition. He was the big favorite on this 165 km event and 9,576 m of elevation gain.
The 36-year-old runner still feels “disabling foot pain”, which he has been dragging for three months, just before his second place on the Hardrock 100 (Colorado), behind Kilian Jornet. An MRI has just revealed in September a bone injury, at the level of the calcaneus, the bone of the heel.
This time he will be a spectator in Reunion
“It’s a moment that is very hard to live for me, he says. I made the decision to really rest to recharge my batteries and recuperate. Renouncing the Diagonale des Fous is the wisest decision even if it is difficult to take. I still really want to race in the next few years. »
As he had promised to be there, the winner of the 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2018 editions will still travel to Reunion Island in two weeks. He will attend the race for the first time as a spectator, hoping to put his trail shoes back on for good at the start of the 2023 season.