On April 1, 2011, the 23rd Derby de la Meije Freeride Inferno race took place in very good conditions and, as always, sunny weather. And even in this rather modest winter, Mrs. Holle did not miss the opportunity to cover the almost 4000 m high La Meije with a load of fresh snow before the race.
1100 starters
As is the case every year, the 1100 starting places are filled within a short space of time and many people who want to take part have to be turned away. 1082 racers showed up at the start, the remaining 18 probably slept through race day.
Not only skiers, snowboarders and telemark skiers usually take part in the Derby de la Meije, but also monoskiers, sqwal skiers, airboarders, mountain bikers and tandem skiers. The strongest participants, mostly La Grave locals, conquer even the steep, mogul-like sections in typical La Grave style: straight line. But for hundreds of "normal" starters, the mogul slope sections are a challenging obstacle that has to be overcome in a mixture of speed and safety in high alpine terrain. The race starts in blocks of ten every minute, with the starting order drawn by lot. A starting position around 200 is considered ideal, as the course is already run in by then and the moguls that inevitably occur due to the large number of riders are still easy to master. In addition to a good choice of line, luck is therefore also a decisive factor for success. In the wild turmoil, ambitious racers race down the mountain together with costumed fun riders and chaos and occasional crashes are inevitable. Just don't make any turns and somehow survive the next steep section is the motto for many. Many master it with aplomb, but some overconfidence detonates in large clouds of snow and people and equipment fly through the air in a high arc. Most recover, collect their lost equipment and race on towards the finish line, cheered on by the spectators - or until the next fall.
The 2011 winners
Jacques Chaudan won the men's ski event with a record time of 5:43.69. Former snowboard cross champion Pierre Vaultier won the men's snowboarding event. Xavier Duret won the monoski competition for the 11th time, in his 20th participation in the Derbys de la Meije. Caroline Meynet won the women's skiing competition and Elodie Mouton won the women's snowboarding competition. This mixture of madness, seriousness and fun makes the derby unique and every year the extreme sport is literally crowned here. The unofficial Derby hero of 2011 was mountain guide Joe Vallone, who, away from the racing action, skied the legendary extreme descent "Pan de Rideau" naked or "clothed" only with a climbing harness as a "Shane McConkey tribute descent".
