With a prologue starting under beautiful falling snow in Avoriaz and an eleventh and final stage in swirling snow on the Bois Barbu clearing in Villard-de-Lans, the 22nd edition of La Grande Odyssée Royal Canin will go down in history as a vintage year for this major Alpine race across the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
“This 22nd edition fully reflected what we stand for with La Grande Odyssée Royal Canin: a demanding, committed race, but always designed with the dog at its core,” said Annabel Kam, organizer of the event.
Most stages were held according to Plan A the original routes selected by the organizers for their beauty, technical difficulty, and the challenge they offer mushers. “Weather conditions were ideal, combining generous sunshine with optimal snow cover. They provided an exceptional setting for the races,” she continued, adding: “The courses, stage pacing, and daily decisions allowed the teams to perform over time, in a spirit of respect and responsibility.”
If mushers take part in this unique race coming from across France and Switzerland, as well as Norway, the Czech Republic, Italy, and Spain it is above all for its distinctive identity, notably the elevation gain of more than 11,000 meters over the entire course. “That’s really what we come for in La Grande Odyssée Royal Canin the altitude challenge,” acknowledged Iker Ozkoidi Garcia, the brilliant winner of the 2026 edition, repeating his feat from the previous year. “It’s so beautiful to glide over Alpine summits like at Les Sept Laux,” said Maren Loftsgard, who finished sixth overall in her first participation, 4 hours and 27 seconds behind the winner.
Meanwhile, Clément Raux confirmed: “It was my third edition and I’m very happy with my fifth place. All the dogs are in great shape. It was a beautiful race,” as he improves his ranking each year. “For me, it was a great discovery!” added Javier Ruiz Corte, a rookie of this edition and winner of the Best Dog Care award, finishing second overall ahead of Norwegian musher Sissel Wolf Molmen, who was competing in her fifth edition.
Over the 350 km covered by mushers during twelve days of racing, several particularly enjoyed the third stage at Savoie Grand Revard, featuring a 38 km route through forest trails on fresh snow. Others, more experienced, preferred the eighth stage via the Col de la Madeleine, taking them from Saint-François-Longchamp to Doucy-Valmorel. This section required exceptional control of the dog team, especially on demanding descents where mushers must prevent the dogs from being carried away by the thrill of speed.
For his part, Jérémy Ferrand, winner of the Allianz Trophy held between Aussois and Val Cenis, shared: “I loved my night at the Mont-Cenis pass bivouac. I slept outside with my dogs at -10°C, and I love that.” The Haute Maurienne Vanoise valley, a historic and essential part of this unique event, is perfectly suited to this sequence of stages, and all mushers enjoy the special atmosphere created especially during the mass start before an ever more enthusiastic crowd.
“From a sporting point of view, it was a very interesting edition despite the incredible dominance of Iker Ozkoidi Garcia across all stages. The same goes for the Nordic category, where Jean Combazard left little hope for his competitors from the very first stage,” analyzed Thibault Branquart, the competition’s sporting director.
Annabel Kam concluded: “This success also belongs to the regions that host us, whose commitment and trust are essential to sustaining an Alpine event of this scale and ensuring its future.”