British team SAAB SALOMON set the pace right from the start of the first mountaineering stage. The current race champions were easily the quickest over the 33.5km (3,100m elevation gain) of this section, blazing a trail for SALOMON SANTIVERI 1 (ESP) and NIKE (USA) over peaks and glaciers. The recruitment of two new youthful faces into SAAB SALOMON, with respect to last year's winning trio, doesn't seem to have affected the British team's winning ways at all. Led by veteran Ben Bardsley, the young Tom Owens and Andy Symonds more than confirmed their reasons for inclusion in this crack squad being as they sped around the figure-eight mountaineering stage starting and ending in Les Chapieux.

Setting out this morning in strong winds and subzero temperatures with the rest of the field, the British trio, winners in 2007 with a different line-up, moved rapidly into a commanding lead on what is considered their athletic forte, mountain running. First at the Robert Blanc Refuge, SAAB SALOMON were quick to attach their crampons before heading out across the ridge leading to the Col des Glaciers, following a rope line fixed by the organization to avoid any crevasses, reaching a point at 3,500m, close to the Dome des Neiges. "It was an extremely tiring section but really spectacular", declared Ben Bardsley at the finish line.

During the descent from the Col de la Seigne, the Brits put paid to any threat from their nearest rivals with a turn of speed before embarking on the climb to the Northern slope of the Col des Fours, followed by the Col du Bonhomme before ending this 33.5km perambulation in Les Chapieux again after racing exactly 6h17. 15 minutes later came the Spaniards of SALOMON SANTIVERI 1, looking very satisfied with their performance: "We knew the British would go out really fast", explained Eduardo Barcelo. "We weren't too concerned to know they were well ahead and we went at our own pace but it was hard. When we arrived at the cross point in Ville des Glaciers and saw the peak we still had to climb, we were a little discouraged. We took a very steep short cut just before the summit to make up sometime but it took all the energy we had in reserve."

NIKE (USA) made up the fist three on this section. "It was a very spirited section but really quite magnificent", Nicolas Lebrun recounted. "For us it was all about damage limitation on this section. We experienced some problems on the ropes but I think we did quite well overall", explained the Frenchman specially recruited into the American team.

QUECHUA COMPAGNIE DES ALPES1 (FRA) and MERRELL SYBELLES (FRA) competed the top 5, despite the fact that Yves Billodeau (QUECHUA) injured his hand after a fall right at the start of the climb and Romain Pallud (SYBELLES) was carrying a badly twisted ankle. At the end of the day the customary trail run brought a surprise victory to SFR SOLIRAID (FRA) followed closely by some of the mountain running giants of the course, Roc Amadour, Symonds and Middaugh. Tomorrow another physically demanding task awaits the 38 teams with 2 MTB sections, 46km and 1991m of elevation gain from Beaufort to Notre-Dame-de-Bellecombe, followed by 32,5km and 1154m elevation gain from Flumet to Thônes.