On Wednesday, France’s François D’Haene, a decorated ultrarunner and four-time UTMB champion, secured another victory, this time at the Tor des Géants, a 330km race in the Italian Alps.
The grueling race, which covers 24,000 meters of elevation over the 330km course, presented its own physical challenges, but D’Haene also had to contend with unexpected accusations.
Swiss runner Martin Perrier, who finished third, claimed that D’Haene had cheated, delivering the allegation in a handwritten note about 250km into the race.
Despite the controversy, D’Haene was awarded the victory after completing the course in 69:08:32, becoming only the second French runner to win in the event’s 15-year history.
The Tor des Géants is widely considered one of the toughest races in the world. It demands that athletes battle extreme distance, altitude, and often extreme weather conditions. Over the course of the 330km race, participants climb the equivalent of three Mount Everests.
Early in the race, D’Haene faced stiff competition from fellow French runner Louis Calais, who led for much of the first two days, with Perrier also close behind. However, as Calais began to fade, D’Haene overtook him on the second night and pushed on to secure the win. France’s Beñat Marmissolle finished second, with a time of 73:10:18.
In the midst of the race, D’Haene’s social media revealed he received a handwritten threat from Perrier, who was in sixth place at the time.
Ok, on a carrément la vidéo du moment où François d'Haene reçoit la lettre par un gars sur le bord du chemin.
— Dorian Costanzo (@Dorian_Costanzo) September 10, 2024
Complètement zinzin. https://t.co/2tEtIaOsSI pic.twitter.com/zhtXbvSJ5H
The note accused D’Haene of using pacers and threatened to release photographic evidence unless he withdrew by midnight.
According to D’Haene’s team, no official complaint was filed, and any individuals who may have appeared near him during the race, such as his communications team or other mountaineers, were in compliance with race regulations.
“To our great surprise, François was handed a threatening handwritten letter on the way to the race,” De’Haene’s Instagram stories said.
“I have proof that you have pacers. If you don’t quit by midnight, I’ll release photos proving it,” said the note from Perrier.
Only at #TorDesGeants!
— Liam (@aidstationfireb) September 11, 2024
Apparently the sixth place male has accused @francoisdhaene of cheating (having a pacer) during the race, and took time out of his race to HANDWRITE FRANCOIS A LETTER and had it delivered to Francois, on course telling him he’s going to report him https://t.co/TpKoMHqjUD
At the time of writing, no photos have been released to substantiate Perrier’s claim. Perrier ultimately finished the race in 75:55:39, enough for third place.
“I am really thrilled to have finished this race and to have done so with a victory, which I never thought possible,” D’Haene said following his victory. “I slept only one hour in total, and the hardest moment was Sunday night with the snow at Col Loson.”
In the women’s race, Switzerland’s Katharina Hartmuth maintained a strong lead from the outset, with a record pace that put her in seventh place overall. Sabrina Verjee of the U.K. followed in second, with France’s Claire Bannwarth in third.
