In the first part of that stage, the rookies Gonda and Billy were already faster than the 2009 champion. They did it again in the second part. The warm temperature - it has merely dropped to -2°C during the night at 2000m - at the Mont Cenis pass was a premiere in La Grande Odyssée Savoie Mont Blanc. This night bivouac is know to be one of the coldest place in the race. Last year, a few days prior to the race, it was -35°C. This checkpoint is an advantage for furrier long distance team who get a better recovery. But because of the warm weather, it hasn't been for sure. And because o the warm weather the long distance teams, lots a second advantage: the long distance.

The LGO teams were supposed to run a 43 km loop two times. But the race direction decided in the interest of the dogs and to protect their health that only one loop would be run. It was already +5°C at 9 AM.

Everybody thought that Radek was on his way to a confortable second victory, it has to be said that nothing is done yet. Radek needed 7 stages to build a 15 minutes lead on Gonda. But the slovak closes 9 minutes of that gap in only one stage. Havrda cannot run one of his main leader but he'll need to find the way to keep that advance. If not, Milos could grab the lead in the next stage. Being a mass start, this stage will be very interesting to follow as strategies will unfold and the weakest will appear clearly.

If the duel for first place is a main subject of talks, one should not forget the amazing run that Bily did once again. He wins a second stage in a row and his third overall.  He told us that he feels better in that less steep area. It helps his dogs to develop their steady lopping pace. Nevertheless he might not be able to enter the fight for first place. He is now almost sure to stand on the podium if he stays on that pace. 4th is still Pontier, who seems not to be able to hold the pace of the three first, but also who is the most performant of the long distance team. He should sign his best result since his first LGO in 2006. Daniel Juillaguet did great in this stage by grabbing the 5th place of the stage in front of the Norwegians that he will have to fight until the end for 5th, 6th and 7th places.

Two teams haven't reached the finish line of that stage. Jaco Alex Ullman is still looking for his dogs that was unhooked at the arrival of the 7th stage and ran away. With the help of the trail staff of the Espace Diamant, he has spotted the dogs but haven't able to catch this shy yearling. He has not started the stage and Wolfram Schumacher hasn't finished it. Unlucky Wolfram who broke one of his rib when he slides on the icy musher parking lot. Wolfram decided to start but he had to stop as the pain was too strong.