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You saw them here first… Pierre and Maxime harness the race

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This edition of the X-Pyr there won’t be only rivalry for the podium between the second and third placed athletes in the last edition, but their harness designers also have been busily developing new, super-lightweight “submarine-style” harnesses for the hike & fly market.

Both Maxime Pinot and Pierre Remy will be showcasing and going head-to-head with their brand-new harnesses during the 2024 X-Pyr.

Pierre will be flying the Supair ALP, which the company says was the result of “a big reflexion for Supair to come back to high level competition in hike & fly. The idea was to adapt the concept of a ‘submarine-style’ to H&F equipment. The challenge was to develop a ‘user-friendly product’ with performance and optimised weight.”

In pursuit of this goal, Supair has produced a commercially available harness which will be available to the public soon after the race. Pierre will be flying the first such available model, so the X-Pyr is the first time the public will be able to see how it looks and performs. The harness weights around 1.6 kg fully equipped, ready to race. The only thing needed is to connect the parachute.

To achieve the weight of the ALP, Supair had to choose the right material to have the best compromise between lightness and durability. This was a major consideration in the design, and the company says:

“We wanted to design the good product to fit H&F pilots’ needs while being fully aerodynamic. It was quite tricky because we did not have another product to compare with during the development. We are very happy with the result”.

In terms of safety, the ALP features an inflatable protector, which also allows the harness to be more compact.

Maxime will be flying NEO’s Moonlight Pro Model. It is made-to-measure for him to optimise drag, weight, ease of use and the compactness in the backpack.

The French company said about the idea behind the design that:

“This harness is a first step into a global “high performance project” at NEO.  We are doing many tests this year aiming to get the best harness possible for hike and fly races. The main point we’ve been working on is the drag reduction, of course, but we also had to find solution to get something light and as easy-to-use as classical harness.

We’ve been doing more than 70 different 3D shapes with different settings that we’ve been numerically testing in CFD (computational fluid dynamics) to check the drag. Then we’ve selected the best one and did a prototype in our workshop in Annecy, did test flights with Max and did this loop all over again before getting the harness he will be flying at the X-Pyr!”

The harness weighs only 1.5k g, including the protector. This compares favourably with the Neo Stay Up Pro model he was flying at the X-Alps 2023.

To effect this weight reduction in this bespoke Pro model, Neo could do away with any buckles/system to adjust the settings of the harness, use ultra-light fabrics for the external shell but also ultra strong Dyneema fabrics in crucial parts (such as the seat and the bottom part of the shell), as H&F harnesses need to be very durable. Tim Alongi was recruited to do some tests in competitions, but the X-Pyr 2024 will be the real practical testing ground for this harness.

The protector is made of NEO Koroyd, which offers the best ratio between size/protection.

Both the ALP and Moonlight Pro are fully certified, as required by the X-Pyr rules.

We are excited to see how these two harnesses perform. Stay tuned for footage and race news. These two harnesses will give Pierre and Maxime the edge – but who will win the race?

Pál Takáts won’t be on the start line

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Only a few days before race start, team Pál Takáts/Sergio Toro have announced they will not be able to compete in the race. Pál is a rookie to the race, having come from the acro world, via cross-country races to compete in the hike & fly scene. He was 4th in the 2023 X-Alps and a hot contender for this edition of the X-Pyr.

In his own words

“Timo has left us for his final and eternal flight last Friday and I’m still struggling to find peace with this new reality…I have lost other friends in the past and even though we were not close, for some reason this hit me really profound…Maybe because I knew him since he was a small kid, maybe because I know his lovely parents, maybe because he was way too young, too skilled and talented, maybe because recently I already felt disillusioned with high level competitions, maybe because in that situation it could have happened to any of us pro pilots…Probably it is just all of it together. I cannot imagine the pain of his parents, partner and closest friends and my thoughts and prayers are with them all the time 🙏🥺
I’m raising many questions to myself about life and my passion of paragliding as I lost all the motivation to fly right now. After days of battling emotions, I came to the conclusion that I’m simply not in the right headspace for any demanding, high-level flying so therefore I cancel my participation in the @xpyrrace . It was a very though decision but since I was already in doubt, I guess it was the right one. I am lucky to still be alive after 2-3 really close calls during more than two decades of pushing hard in different disciplines and sports. Maybe this is the wake up call and slap in the face to start appreciating this fact more and to reflect on what is important in life…
Céus azuis Timo, abrazos fortes e fortaleza familia querida“

Pál was a late entry to the race, but we could not refuse such a great athlete and pilot. We wish him well and hope we see him in the 2026 edition.

Emil Guariento has had to withdraw

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Sadly, the team of Emil Guariento and Matteo Folini have had to withdraw from the race at the last minute. The young Italian from Bolzano writes that:

“After the good result at the Bornes to Fly, I felt something was missing in my body, I did some blood tests and yesterday I received the results. I’m going to give up, as it doesn’t make any sense to wait longer. I’m sorry for that, it hurts. “

We wish Emil all the best in his recovery and hope he is fit and well very soon!

With pain in his heart… Toma withdraws

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And ours too! Running man Toma Coconea has had to withdraw from the race. He says:

“Looks like bad luck is chasing me again. I am very sorry, I wanted so much to reach this competition, one of my soul. It is with pain in my heart that I want to inform you that yesterday, during a normal landing in my area of tall grass, I did not see a rock there and my leg got stuck, and I had an accident. I hoped it was just a sprain, but unfortunately, the x-ray showed that I have a fracture in my right leg. Today I had surgery on my leg, and the doctor recommended a recovery period of 6 weeks. Unfortunately, I will not be able to participate in this edition :(((. 

I wish you and all competitors good luck in the organization.”
More info, on Toma’s Facebook page.

Toma competed in 2014 (3rd) and 2018 (11th) and also applied for the 2020 edition which was cancelled. Toma is a fixture in hike and fly races having come second in the X-Alps twice. He is known for his supreme fitness and ability to cover unbelievable distances on foot, and he is of course also a master of the sky. Always smiling he will be sorely missed in this edition. We wish Toma all the best and a quick and full recovery.

Three out, one in

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Regretfully, we have to report that three teams have had to withdraw from this year’s competition.

Team Abruzzo/McClurg (USA) had to withdraw due to work reasons.

“Im sorry to say that I will not be at the starting line for the X Pyr this year due to a priority with my work that I did not forsee.  It was an agonizing decision for me and the team.  Getting selected was a high point for the year and bowing out before it starts is certainly a low point.  I wish the best to all the athletes and the race organization.“

This is Ben’s second attempt at completing the X-Pyr. In 2018, in the final training time for the race Ben had an accident and broke his back. He made a great recovery to find himself selected again in this edition. We hope next time he will be at the starting line.

Team Viehböck/Brunner (AUT) have also had to withdraw. Andreas, who participated in the last edition, was training on his mountain bike and hit a barrier, breaking his collar bone. We hope it mends soon!

More tragically, team Iñiguez/Tudela (ESP) also won’t be able to join us. Mattin was a hot contender in this race. He is from the Basque Country and knows the Pyrenees extremely well. A few weeks ago on a training flight he flew from near his home to Organya in Catalunya, a distance of 300 km. The longest recorded flight in these mountains.

Recently he was flying and in his words “took a bad decision, but in paragliding these can have grave outcomes.” He has injured a vertebra and will not be able to participate. However, Mattin will recover, so we hope that happens quickly and as painlessly as possible.

Luis Felipe Tudela, Mattin’s assistant and another veteran of the race, having supported several Spanish X-Pyr athletes, has found himself with time on his hands. Incredibly generously he has volunteered that time to the race organisation and will join us in the staff t-shirt as a race official. Welcome to the team!

As it is now so close to the race start on the 23rd of June, we offered the available places to the pilots on the waiting list. Understandably, not many could organise themselves at such short notice, especially coming from overseas. One pilot who will be able to come is Rémi Bourdelle (FRA), last year a rookie, but now a seasoned X-Pyr competitor. He will be supported by Adrien Bourdelle. It’s great to see you back Rémi!

The boys did good…

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X-Pyr competitors do well at the European Championships

Three of our top seeds in this year’s X-Pyr have just had an excellent run at the European Paragliding Championships in Pegalajar, Spain. After 10 tasks and more than 1000 km flown in two weeks, Maxime Pinot, two-times runner-up in the X-Pyr was crowned champion of the continent.

European Champion Maxime Pinot with Race Director Íñigo Redín

In seventh place was Michal Gierlach (Spike) from Poland, who is a rookie in this years edition, but who flew over 300 km in southern Spain the day before the competition started.

And finally, last edition rookie and third overall in the X-Pyr, Pierre Remy was consistently at the top of the field but ended up 25th in the competition. The former world and superfinal champion was a scoring pilot for the French team.

Congratulations to all of them and we can’t wait to see you again on the starting line!

Check full results here

Featured image courtesy of Cross-Country Magazine/Marcus King

X-Pyr 2024 – the route

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Finally, we are able to publish the route for the forthcoming edition of the race. There are a few exciting features to this route and it will not be an easy edition. For the 2024 X-Pyr, there will be the following turnpoints covering a distance of 592.5 km:

  • Start: Hondarribia
  • TP1: Larun
  • TP2: Val d’Azun
  • TP3: Boí Taull
  • TP4: Monte Perdido
  • TP5: Pic des Trois Seigneurs
  • TP6: Vall de Núria
  • TP7: Santa Helena de Rodes
  • Goal: El Port de la Selva

You can have a look at the route in detail here here.

As in every edition, after leaving the beach at Hondarribia, the athletes need to hike to Larun, a trip of 15 Km (23 km hiking really) with an altitude gain of 870 m. This is the first point where the athletes can take their equipment out of their bags and can finally fly.

From then on it is a back and forth zig-zag between France and Spain. The first long leg (the largest in this edition) is the 122.2 km trek to Val d’Azun. Last time rookie and third-placed pilot Pierre Remy will have a pleasant surprise, the second turn point is in the famous flying area where he lives. From there they go South East into Spain and visit the Parque Nacional de Aigüestortes, the waypoint Boí Taull.  

Crossing back to the west, they go to the edge of the Monte Perdido in the Ordesa National Park. Since flying is restricted there, there is a large cylinder (7 km) around this turnpoint.

From there the race heads North East to the Arriege, Pic des Trois Seigneurs, north of Andorra, which may be the most complicated part of the route.
After this more complications await the teams… they will head to a sign-board, where they have to land (or arrive on foot) – there is no turnpoint radius. The special thing about the Vall de Nuria is that it is in a hanging valley at 1962 m which can only be reached by rack and pin railway. Teams supporters have a free ticket to ride, as there is no access road to the monestary which will be the turnpoint.
From there is is “only” 75 km as the crow flies to the end-of-race point at Santa Helena de Rodes.

Who will get there first? You can see all the competing teams here.

Race start is at 10am on Sunday the 23rd of June, on the beach at Hondarribia. See you there!

Another massive Pyrenees flight – Pierre Remy flies from home

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Last time rookie and third-placed pilot in the 2022 X-Pyr, Pierre Remy’s training for the 2024 event seems to be going well! Taking off from his home mountain, he managed to fly the longest flight ever flown from this site. Completing a flat triangle, he managed to fly 207 km, in a flight that is worth 299 points in the international XContest.
It’s clear that we have to consider this place as a future turnpoint for the X-Pyr. What do you think?

Flying his Niviuk Icepeak X-One, he was in the air for nearly six hours and completed the flight with an average speed of 35.55 km/h.

Conditions are clearly banging and we hope they continue to do so when the X-Pyr 2024 traverses the Pyrenees in late June.

You can see Pierre’s track here.

Two massive records for X-Pyr athletes Pinot and Iñiguez

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On the 23rd of April Maxime Pinot and five friends, including fellow top-ten finisher in the 2022 X-Pyr Tim Alongi, set the new French distance record. Flying as a team, they took off north of Paris and flew nearly the length of the country, landing together 457km later.

On the 2nd of May, Mattin Iñiguez a rookie in the 2024 X-Pyr set the new Spanish hike & fly record. After climbing up Larraintza in his home area of the Basque Country, he took off at 11 am and headed to higher ground closer to the main Pyrenees peaks. Continuing on the southern, Spanish, side, he flew east, passing many of the iconic X-Pyr areas and former turn-points. After 9 hours in the air and a distance of 300.84 km, he reached Catalunya and landed at the famous acro mecca of Organyà.

What a way to do your training for the X-Pyr 2024!

We congratulate both pilots for their amazing efforts and can’t wait to see what they can achieve during the race in June.

You can see their tracklogs of Maxime and Mattin here.

And one more… Pál Takáts joins the race

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A last-minute wildcard entry to the X-Pyr 2024 race will be the famous acro ace from Hungary. Pál is also well known in cross-country and competition circles. After a serious accident in 2012, he decided to compete for the second time in the X-Alps. He has been ranked 7th and 8th in the competition, but on his third attempt he placed 4th in the 2023 edition. An outstanding performance.

He now sets his eyes on the Pyrenees, with his first participation in the X-Pyr. He is currently looking for a supporter to accompany him on the race.

The 2024 X-Pyr will be hotly contested with many big names in the race, and one notable absence. Who will win? See the full list of participants here.

Pal Takats performs during the Red Bull X-Alps in Primaluna, Italy on June 16, 2023. (Photo Lukas Pilz)

Update – Day 7

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First some news about the penalisations of yesterday: Jordi Vilalta and Tim Alongi were given a 24-hour penalty for airspace infringement.

We’ve brought you the first results from the finishing line and it’s been a hectic day here in El Port de la Selva, 605 km distant from the start at Hondarribia.

What a week it’s been starting with 2 days hiking, an amazing day 3 which split the field, leaving some still struggling with low cloud and others clocking up 200km flights.

It’s been a competition of 2 parts – the French side in miserable weather and rain and the Spanish sun so on Day 5 whilst the leaders were trudging along the main pack were having fun and making progress.

After Chrigel Maurer’s arrival at St Helena de Rodes yesterday, this morning Maxime Pinot arrived and he and Chrigel flew down to the raft on the beach at El Port de la Selva together to reach the final goal of the competition. A little later Pierre Rémy arrived at the finish, followed by Simon Oberrauner. Both are rookies in this competition. 

So we know about the leaders – what about the remaining athletes?

All athletes are safely past TP3 Peña Montañesa and either closing in on TP 4 at Arbas or fighting along the northern leg to Midi du Bigorre.

Still to reach TP 4 are Johannes Helleland, followed by David Liaño and João Pedro Simonsen.

Iñigo Gabiria and Nicolas Hayes passed turn point 4. Rich Binstead, Rob Curran, Kinga Masztalerz, Keith Paterson, Patrick Sieber and Mikolaj Kocot are spread over the western leg of the X heading for turn point 5. Greg Hamerton and Reto Reiser is also with them.

Thibault Voglet is now en route for TP6 at El Corronco, behind Andreas Viehböck and Fabian Umbricht who are neck and neck.

David Corpas and James Elliot are not far apart about midway along to TP6 and locked in a battle royale an hour and a half before the end of the race. David Corpas, being an ultra-runner, won that battle, and as he passed James, he stopped to give James a hug… the spririt of the X-Pyr pure.

Tomas Matera has tagged El Corronco and was north of Andorra at the end of the race, Lars Meerstetter and Noé Court both passed TP7. Noé Court has decided to stop the race but is closest to the finish and will end the race in 5th place.

Full results will be available at the end of the race finish this evening. Tomorrow is prize giving and we hope as many teams as possible can join us. We hope you have enjoyed our race coverage. There is plenty more to view on the web site and plenty more to come.

For now and from all the organisation team… See you in 2024!

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