TOR des GEANTS® 2014
7-14 September 2014
An extraordinary challenge in the heart of the 4 giants of the Alps!
One of the highest peaks of ENDURANCE – TRAIL in the WORLD
330 km and 24,000 meters of altitude difference
Through the High Routes of Valle d’Aosta
TOR DES GEANTS® 2014:
COURMAYEUR APPLAUDS ALL THE GIANTS OF THE FIFTH EDITION
Courmayeur, 14 September 2014 _ The fifth edition of the Tor des Giants is now over. This
was not just a competition, it was a life experience, a great week-long journey shared by
athletes, volunteers, friends, relatives, helpers and supporters alike, who parted on this
bittersweet morning at Courmayeur Forum Sport Centre.
The event hall could hardly hold the crowd who came to greet their Giants. This year, the
finishers were as many as 444, which means the athletes' preparation level keeps going
up.
The ceremony began at 11 am this Sunday with a heartfelt thanks to those who best
represent the spirit of the Tor: next to 2,000 volunteers from the Aosta Valley, who for a
week tirelessly supported the athletes along the way in shelters and at rest stops. They
were all there, gathered around the podium and in the audience, waiting for their
travelling companions.
A round of applause went also to the 294 runners who gave it their all but could not
make it all the way to Courmayeur. Among them was also the president of the Region
Augusto Rollandin, who ran 200 km before abandoning the race at Gressoney. “The
heart of our region is in the mountains that have welcomed you” he said. “Mountains
require a lot of effort; the stress and fatigue that runners feel by competing in this race
get them closer to the mountaineers and pay tribute to our mountains”. The head of
tourism Aurelio Marguerettaz mentioned the Japanese athlete who after crossing the
finish line had some flowers brought over and asked his girlfriend to marry him, one of the
many anecdotes that make this adventure so special.
“Every year, this race is full of new excitement and surprises” was the comment of
Alessandra Nicoletti, president of the Aosta Valley Trail Runners. “The greatest excitement
happened just yesterday, when the last finishers made it in: this is the spirit of the Tor.”
Indeed, the last two Giants, the Frenchman Alain Desez and the Japanese lady Yoshiko
Matsunuma, were among the most acclaimed.
The podium welcomed the overall winners first: a standing ovation for the home
champion, Franco Collé, hailing from Gressoney, and for the talented French lady Emilie
Lecomte; both performed outstandingly. Right next to them, the other heroes, 24-year-
Partners
old Nick Hollon from California, Antoine Guillon and Christophe Le-Saux, two friends that
crossed the finish line together and shared the third step of the podium, the Italian lady
Lisa Borzani, who came in second among the women, the Swiss lady Denise
Zimmermann, who finished third, and Japanese Masahiro Ono, fifth behind the two
Frenchmen.
The audience then cheered Lionel Trivel, the winner of the Tor des Géants® Fair Play
Award, bestowed by Panathlon Valle d’Aosta. Lionel had led the race for several km
until he was forced to deal with a physical problem. Although at that point he knew that
he would not have made it among the first, he decided to keep on, adapting his pace
to his physical condition. It took him an extra day, but he still managed to cross the finish
line at Courmayeur, thus honouring the race, the volunteers, and himself.
Another of the many awards was the much coveted Trophy of Nations, which went to
Italy for the first time, thanks to Franco Collé (first), Gianluca Galeati (seventh), and
Massimo Tagliaferri (eighth). Together with those of the previous winners, their names will
go up on a plaque that will be placed on a monument to be erected on the king of
Giants, that is Mont Blanc, at Pointe Helbronner, when the new plant will be inaugurated.
Tor 2014 Special Awards
Montura Award | Last FINISHER (men/women)
Alain Desez – France
Yoshiko Matsunuma – Japan
Technique Award | SPIRIT OF THE TOR Award
Emilie Lecomte – Francia
Grivel Award | First three from Aosta Valley (men/women)
Men
Franco Collè
Giancarlo Annovazzi
Ugo Perucca
Women
Elisabetta Negra
Katia Cavagnet
Paola Catuzzo
Tecnos Medica & Fidia Farmaceutica Award | Oldest Finisher
Max Savio (1946) – France (overall)
Gigi Riz (1956) – Italy (from Aosta Valley)
Alpigas Award | “The right time” Valgrisanche Section – Cogne Award
Attilio Luboz - Italy
Partners
KIA Award | 1st place Seniors 1
Nichademus Hollon – USA
Easy Solution ab Seniores d Safety Center Award | Finishers from the most distant country
Rodrigo Errazuriz – Chile
Paula Andrea Cancino Morales - Chile
PELLISSIER VDA Award | Youngest Finisher
Kim Joenghun – South Korea (1991)
Fair Play – Panathlon Club Award | For the most beautiful gesture of the event
Lionel Trivel – Francia
Instagram Challenge Award | Take a picture of your Tor
Paolo Taldo
Category awards
Seniors 1
Jenn Gaskell – UK
Women
Men
Seniors 1
Egoistz Aragon – Larruzea – Spain
Seniors 2
Maddi Arrazola – Spain
Seniors 2
Dan Doherty – Ireland
Veterans 1
Luisa Balsamo – Italy
Veterans 1
Massimo Tagliaferri – Italy
Veterans 2
Marie Duke – Australia
Veterans 2
Ugo Perucco – Italy
Veterans 3
Michel Bovy – France
TOR DES GEANTS® ORGANIZATION
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TOR DES GEANTS® PRESS OFFICE _ OMNIA RELATIONS
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