Paragliding
The French are coming
Fired up and training hard, French athletes have the race in their sights.
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French athletes will be hoping for glory this summer. For the first time since 2019, there is a French Turnpoint deep within their turf, in Les 2 Alpes, the heart of hike and fly territory.
Les 2 Alpes is a new Turnpoint in 2025
© Les 2 Alpes
They’re all currently training hard for the upcoming adventure. Damien Lacaze (FRA1), the surprise outsider who came second in the 2023 race, has set himself a grueling fitness regime and has been sharing some of his punishing workouts.
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“This winter, I mainly focused on physical training, both in terms of intensity and long outings, and did much more strength training than in previous years,” he tells us. “I have a new great coach, and I really like the way he makes me work. I also spent a lot of time on my job, so I can be freer this spring and summer.”
Tanguy Renaud-Goud (FRA4) has also been using the dark winter months to focus on his endurance. “I just finished part of the preparation that I love – long physical training,” he says. “That’s around 20,000+ meters during the month, 15 hours a week with three small runs with the backpack.” Tanguy is the current 24-hour hike and fly record holder after hiking 17,534m and is an unstoppable beast in the mountains.
I just finished part of the preparation that I love – long physical training
Rémi Bourdelle (FRA5) is the only rookie in the French line-up. He’s been preparing himself by taking part in the Winter Eigertour race, a brutal three-day race in the mountains that combines the disciplines of ski mountaineering and paragliding. It was set up by the 2015 Red Bull X-Alps athlete Michael Witschi. Competing with Gaël Droz, the pair came second in the race. “It was an excellent complement to the winter preparation for Red Bull X-Alps,” he said. Conditions in the race were brutal – athletes had to contend with snowstorms and strong winds in excess of 50km/h. “We had to optimize logistics, flights and draw on our physical resources to reach the podium,” he posted.
Maxime Pinot (FRA2) hiking in Kitzbühel in 2023
© zooom / Adi Geisegger
Both Maxime Pinot (FRA2) and Tim Alongi (FRA3) are keeping a low profile. But all athletes are currently focused on the Paragliding World Cup (PWC) Superfinal in Colombia. It’s a measure of their prowess in the skies that all five French athletes are taking part. Maxime Pinot is the defending world champion. He says he’s fully focused on that before he can turn his attention to the world’s toughest adventure race.
I'm super motivated to be in top shape by June!
Damien says the Superfinal is a good opportunity to see where he needs to improve. “It’s a good test to evaluate myself against the best athletes. When I return, it will be time for the first spring thermals in the Alps, big ski ascents, and testing gear, which promises a small revolution in terms of performance. There will also be studying the route, spending time with the support team, and the Bornes to Fly as a warm-up race. All of this is very exciting, and I'm super motivated to be in top shape by June!”
“The Superfinal is a perfect way to start! I’m very excited to compete again. There is still a lot of work to do before the Red Bull X-Alps, but I’m confident,” adds Tanguy.
Make sure to follow us on Instagram (@redbullxalps) to not miss any updates about the athletes and the race!
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