Antoine Girard (FRA3) has had a slow day, after being halted by a knee injury. But despite the pain and dropping to 19th position, he is determined to carry on.
 
He says: ‘My knee is very bad, but my mood is good. I can’t move far and it has been raining all day, so we’ve been stuck in the van, working on my new film about Pakistan.’
 
So what’s his plan now? ‘I think I have two more climbs in me. I will walk up 400m tomorrow and try to fly far in the better conditions. My strategy then is to keep landing high – and to carry on. If I keep landing in the valleys, though, my race is over.’
 
The Frenchman certainly has form and is an outstanding adventurer, hiking and flying in some of the wildest places on Earth, from the Andes to the Himalayas. He also holds the world paragliding altitude record, flying to over 8000m over Broad Peak, Pakistan – during which his fingers froze.
 
If he manages to make it to Monaco in his current state, it will be one of the great Red Bull X-Alps success stories. But even if he doesn’t, he is proud of the French team’s performance. ‘The first few days were perfect for me, and we have worked all along as a team. We plan together and share everything.’

And what of Maxime Pinot (FRA4), the Rookie who has pushed five-times champion Christian Maurer (SUI1) all the way?
 
‘We are very pleased, but it’s no surprise,’ he says. ‘Maxime has had this goal for the last two years and has prepared for the race all that time.’
 
Good luck, Antoine.

Check out Antoine's current position on Live Tracking!

Photos © Antoine Girard, zooom / Harald Tauderer