Imagine for a moment a crazy postulate: what if instead of the 40 shocks shared by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, the two tennis legends had faced each other less than ten times? Welcome to the world of ultra-trail, which is about to vibrate for more than 21 hours, starting this Friday (2 p.m. in France, 6 a.m. in Colorado) in front of a historic edition of the Hardrock 100 ( 160 km and 10,000 m of D+) pitting Kilian Jornet against François D’Haene.
Namely the undisputed superstar of the mountain, whether in trail (10 Zegama-Aizkorri, 9 Sierre-Zinal), ultra-trail (4 Hardrock 100, 3 Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc) and even ski mountaineering ( 4 Pierra Menta), and the king of the ultra (quadruple winner of the UTMB but also of the Diagonale des Fous in Reunion). “These are two riders used to dominating the races in which they participate, deciphers Julien Chorier, 4th in 2021 on a Hardrock 100 marked by the record time of François D’Haene (9:45 p.m.). Moreover, François was well pushed by the American Dylan Bowman last year here, but he still finished an hour early…”
“Kilian wants to hit a big blow this year”
This shows how much of a world there is between the 34-year-old Spaniard, the 36-year-old Savoyard, and all the others. “On the one hand, we have François who is now aiming for the record for this legendary event in the other direction of the race, and Kilian who wants to strike a big blow this year to launch his own brand. [NNormal], observes Ludovic Pommeret, winner of a UTMB and a Diagonale des Fous. It can therefore only be an event that I really want to follow. “Especially since it is necessary to fight to find traces in the archives of clashes between Kilian Jornet and François D’Haene.
- North Face 100 Australia 2011: The first record of a major clash between the two budding champions, aged 23 and 25 respectively, dates back to May 2011 in Australia. On a race of 160 km and 3,900 m of D+, the Spaniard wins with 5 minutes ahead of his toughest future rival for more than a decade. The competition is far away, 30 minutes from François D’Haene. Already…
- UTMB 2011: Kilian Jornet wins his third coronation in Chamonix in the queen event of 170 km, while François D’Haene (first participation) abandons 30 km from the end due to foot pain, while he was in the the shot for a Top 5.
- Transvulcania 2012: Incredible but true, neither Kilian Jornet (3rd and victim of heatstroke) nor François D’Haene (4th at 14 minutes from Jornet) wins this reference race of 73 km in the Canary Islands, all two beaten by American Dakota Jones and Englishman Andy Symonds. “As much as I know myself well in the cold, I am bad with the heat”, had dropped the “Kiki” about this setback.
- Transvulcania 2013: Kilian Jornet takes his revenge on his land and imposes himself as a real boss on La Palma, crossing the line 23 minutes before François D’Haene (6th).
- Ice Trail Tarentaise 2013: Kilian Jornet wins after 65 km and 5,000 m of elevation gain in Val d’Isère (Savoie), just 5 minutes ahead of François D’Haene (2nd).
- Diagonale des Fous 2013: To complete this year 2013 rich in duels at the top, François D’Haene wins for the first time the Grand Raid in Reunion (164 km and 9,900 m of D+), far ahead of an injured Kilian Jornet in the knee. The Spanish rider finished the race in 21st place, alongside his companion Emelie Forsberg, 8:30 after his partner in Team Salomon.
“Kilian had played it a little easy on the UTMB 2017”
We can add to the list of Pierra Menta (world summit of ski mountaineering with 10,000 m of D+ around Arêches-Beaufort) where Kilian Jornet systematically outclasses François D’Haene, and distance records, such as when the Savoyard dethrones the Catalan on the crossing of the GR20 in Corsica (180 km and 10,000 m of D+) in 2016 or on the Hardrock 100 in 2021. But above all there was “the race of the century” on the UTMB 2017, like the world of ultra-trail nicknamed it at the time. Namely the only confrontation between the two champions for nine years, moreover against two other serious opponents at the start, Jim Walmsley and Xavier Thévenard.
This clash of the titans had proved exciting from start to finish, and snatched in 19:01 by François D’Haene, 15 minutes ahead of Kilian Jornet. Everyone keeps their own reading of this “super fight”, as Julien Chorier calls it. “Kilian had played it a bit easy this time,” said Ludovic Pommeret, winner of the UTMB the previous year. François had had a great race and he reminded him how big of a customer he was in the ultra format. »
“They do the shopping they want, and they have always done so”
For Thibaut Baronian, runner with Team Salomon, “Kilian Jornet was really not in optimal conditions in 2017”. “He had returned from his double ascent of Everest in June with huge blisters and he could not even walk after his victory in Sierre-Zinal two weeks before the UTMB”, he continues. But why couldn’t there have been other clashes at the top for five years, until this Hardrock 100 that these two monsters of the mountain approach a priori in full possession of their means?
“All in all, it was never dictated by Salomon, assures Julien Chorier, their former partner in the benchmark trail running team from 2011 to 2013. They do the races they want, and have always done so, long before Kilian does not leave Solomon. It’s just that Kilian has long set back from the ultra to devote himself to the shorter formats of the Golden Trail Series. Jean-Michel Faure-Vincent, manager of François D’Haene within Team Salomon, completes:
Their fights can only take place over very long distances in the mountains, given that François is highly specialized in ultra. Given that he does not take part in the same races from one year to the next and that Kilian registers for very varied formats, there is a very strong chance that this Hardrock 100 will be the last clash of their careers. »
Two very different preparations before the Hardrock 100
Something to savor even more this opposition of styles and physics between D’Haene (1.92 m) and Jornet (1.71 m). But also preparations, since François D’Haene prepared quite quietly in the mountains, contenting himself with winning the Volvic Volcanic Experience (110 km) in May, all to reach the Colorado Rockies very early, from June 28. .
The Spaniard has just joined the United States in the week, despite the 8 hour time difference. Before that, he preferred to do an ultra of 163 km, won in February in Sweden during the launch of his new shoe, and “a stunning time” to win Zegama-Aizkorri (42 km, 2,736 m of D+) in May , before attacking an unprecedented and bewildering triptych Hardrock 100-Sierre Zinal-UTMB in six weeks. Sixth in Zegama, Thibaut Baronian found on this occasion an “outstanding” Kilian Jornet.
The ultra GOAT battle in the background
“As every time he thoroughly prepares for a race, he was unbeatable,” continues the Frenchman. There, he wanted the bar of 10 victories and the record, it felt. This season, he wants to win in all formats with the same shoe, his shoe. But on the Hardrock 100, there will be the vagaries of the ultra format, and that goes beyond the physical. We know that he is not the great specialist of the night. It’s going to be a big battle between François and him, and even necessarily a benchmark race for both of them in their careers. The outcome of this confrontation, between this Friday and Saturday, will not fail to relaunch the debate on the GOAT (greatest of all time) of ultra-trail.
“Kilian is necessarily the best trail runner, due to his versatility, which makes him capable of winning very different races many times,” says Julien Chorier. His overall track record is unbeatable. But in ultra, they may be tied. I would be very annoyed if I was asked to put a ticket on a winner. And frankly, even if one or the other ends up an hour ahead on this Hardrock 100, that does not mean in my opinion that he is in absolute terms the strongest on ultra. “It wouldn’t feel their Wimbledon 2008 to them, completed with a legendary arrival hand in hand, Saturday at Silverton?