12:45 Ranking stage unofficial

Martin Bily 1:43:22
Milos Gonda 1:44:07
Radek Havrda 1:45:14
Jean-Philippe Pontier 1:50:15
Daniel Juillaguet 1:52:42
Fabrizio Lovati 1:58:27
Jo Are Brennodden 2:03:55
Ketil Reitan  2:05:00
Jack-Gerard Gaspard 2:08:06
Thomas Hoffmann 2:09:31
Pierre-Antoine Heritier 2:15:02
Jaco Alex Ulmann  2:17:03
Jean Combazard 2:18:40
Wolfram Schumacher 2:19:47
Germano de martin 2:21:11

DNF Mel Andrews 3:31:47

12.20: Then we got all the mushers in the finishline. After Gaspard: Heritier, Ulmann and Schumacher in a group not far back, then Brennodden with Reitan abut 1 min back. Then we got Hoffmann , Combazard and the last was De Martin . We can see that Reitan have moved fast after his problems in the start. it will be a very interesting  stage  and general ranking after this stage. We can`t wait for the next stage to morrow  at  Val Cenis who  is a oure longdistance with a night in tents at the Base PolarI Then the race go on the next day. We`re sorry for the internett problems. and hope you will follow us from about 4.30 am. Results on our web site as sun as possible. Have a nice day.

11.55: Bily arriving the finishline, a bit back Juillaget of him. Some hundreds meters back the group: Radek, Milos followed by Fabrizio Lovatti. Not far back this group Pontier and Gaspard is arriving. We can see that Reitan have Speedet up and is not far away up in the track. What a exciting race, we ca`t wait to see the general ranking after this.

11.30: Sorry we have some trubble with internett. Bily and Juillaguet is in the front and really fighting downhills with Radek comming up bak with Gonda, they are all going fast,  Also Pontier is going fast. Brennodden is a bit back and moves in a bit slower tempo. Reitan in the Back moves a little bit faster than him, but have lost time because of his foult earlyer. Bily have distanced the others in front an are Soon at the finish.

Bily and Gaspard first on the top. Bily is really fast. It`s seems that Reitan have taken a loop to much in the beginning and was suddenly the last mucher. Mel Andrews have stopped the stage.

10.55: The first teams have started the climbing up to the montain. This is dramatic Reitan seems that Reitan had a stop and at a moment he was the last one. He is speeding up now. Pontier Radek Bily an Milos is the fastest at the moment Pontier have passed Brennodden, soe the hills are waiting for the top ranked mushers Who will manage this hills and downhills best, have the two rookies the experience to make the downhills fast enough?

10.30. All teams are  now out in the track. After the last days happenings the top 3 of general ranking is: Radek, Milos and the french Jean Phillipe Pontier who lives and train in Norway in the area for Femundløpet. Todays stage, and the stages in Val Cenis, is very nordic like we are really waitning for Pontier and the norwegian teams. Will they make it ?  Or will the rookies  Gonda and Bily suprise us all? Everything can happen in this race.

10.00 Todays stage goes from Megeve to Notre Dame de Belnow lecombe and is about 43 km. Positive diff of altitude 1900m negative diff of altitude 2200m. It`s astage that will maybe suit the long distanse teams. In the beginning 25 km small hills up and down, then they start on climbing uphill to Mont de Vorses  about 800 m up on 10 km, they will be up on almost 2100 meters befor the heavy downhill to the finishline. They really are on the " roof of Europe" and have wonderful site up there.

09.45: Welcome to the 7 th stage of La Grande Odyssee 2011, the start have been delayed to 09.46. The first musher just started Start list with 2 min interval: Wolfram Schumacher Germany, Jaco Alex Ulmann Switserland, Pierre Antoine Heritier Switserland, Jack Gaspard France, Jean Combazard France, Germano De Martin Italy, Thomas Hoffmann Germany, Fabrizio Lovatti Italy, Daniel Juillaguet France, Jo Are Brennodden Norway, Ketil Reitan Norway, Martin Bly Czeck Rep, Jean Phillipe Pontier France, Radek Havrda Czeck Rep., Milos Gonda Slovakia, We got a message that Melanie Andrews have started as number 1 on the list