La Grande Odyssée, the world's most demanding stage sled dog race, generates excitement every year! At the finish in Villard-de-Lans, the celebrated Coste Racedog mushers and their four-legged athletes claimed victory on the final stage and topped the overall standings. Led by Rémy Coste in the Open category and Aurélie Delattre in the Limited category, Coste Racedog recently joined the Cimalp athletes team.
French brand Cimalp is the official partner of Coste Racedog, now seven-time winners of La Grande Odyssée, including the 2023 edition held in January. This event marked the beginning of a great collaboration between Cimalp — outdoor equipment experts since 1964 — and Coste Racedog, the team of mushers, handlers and athlete dogs.
Cimalp x Coste Racedog — a sporting and human adventure with real bite!
For the 2023 sporting season, Cimalp is equipping the 2 professional mushers of Coste Racedog and their 4 handlers with high-performance, protective technical gear designed for extreme cold and demanding outdoor sporting activities.
Aurélie Delattre and Rémy Coste can now approach their new season of training in Sweden and European and international competitions with confidence: "The comfort and technical quality of the clothing help us stay warm during the long descents typical of La Grande Odyssée, and also to be more efficient when helping the dogs on the climbs."
As for the Drôme-based SME, currently on a remarkable upward trajectory in the outdoor market, its mission is to connect people with nature and the mountains, encourage pushing personal limits, and protect practitioners, athletes and adventurers. "We want to offer the athletes of the Team Cimalp the right comfort and the best conditions to perform in their daily training and in competition," explains Florian Olivier, Cimalp team manager.
A winning team of mushers
Coste Racedog, seven-time winners of La Grande Odyssée (2016, 2018, and every year since 2019), put in a standout performance at the 2023 edition. Despite exceptionally challenging weather conditions this year, Aurélie Delattre, Rémy Coste and their dog team stayed at the front over 400 km and 12,000 metres of cumulative elevation gain through the Alps. They faced 65 international mushers and their 600 athlete dogs, finishing 1st overall in their respective categories.
Having set off from Megève in the snow, they crossed the finish line in Villard-de-Lans under bright sunshine. The new Cimalp Team athletes were widely followed and cheered by the public and media throughout the 2023 edition.
A well-deserved victory! And Coste Racedog promises more great adventures in 2023, with Cimalp by their side.
Photo credits: Cyrille Quintard | Romain Tissot | Benoit Diacre | LGO | jane.design
