It is two hundred meters from his house, in Planay (Savoie), that D'haene took the start of the third stage of the Pierra Menta on Friday, a race dear to his heart in which he has participated for twelve years.

Installed with his wife and their three children for a year in the Beaufortain massif, the man who is considered the best current ultra-trailer in the world has chosen to kick off his rich and long season in March with the Pierra Menta, which he now integrates into his preparation program.

The journey in the high mountains allows him to better understand the Hardrock 100, a 100 miles (160 km) of extreme endurance at 4000 m altitude, which he won in 2021 in a record time (21h45) and which will start on July 15.

Hardrock and Grand Raid

"Ski touring is the best way for me to also prepare for this Hardrock. It allows me to really climb to a crescendo. All my winter serves as a very good base for this," D'haene told AFP.

Frenchman François d'Haene crosses the finish line of the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) in Chamonix on August 28, 2021 in France Olivier CHASSIGNOLE AFP / Archives

Already in the ranks of the Ski Mountaineering World Cup since January with the French reserve team, D'haene injured his ribs a month ago in a fall, which should lengthen his ski season, before rack up the kilometers in running to "arrive acclimatized and in good shape at the Hardrock", where his rival will be the other great star of ultra endurance, the Spaniard Kilian Jornet.

Jornet will continue with the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) at the end of August, which D'haene did last year to become the only quadruple winner of the UTMB.

This year, the Frenchman will not return there, having preferred the Diagonale des fous, a 168 km race (including 9600 m of elevation gain) which will start on October 21 as part of the Grand Raid de la Réunion.

Ultra in the background

"It's a special race in an exotic environment, quite nice, it's also where I started ultra trail in 2009, and it's been four years since I went to Reunion. I want to relive its atmosphere a little, this atmosphere is something a little special", underlines the one who will line up for a fifth victory.

At the top of its game, D'haene has been working since 2015 to vary its programming each year.

"For me it's really important to put a part of adventure back into my practice. I went to Ecuador after the GR20 (2016). There was (in 2017) the John Muir Trail with a larger part of "adventure and mountain with very isolated trails, I really liked it. There was a project in the Tyrol, I do more ski mountaineering and I took up paragliding 2 years ago. So projects who mix all that with the ultra as a backdrop, that's how I'm going to feed my next seasons".

The French Ultra-trailer and ski mountaineer François D'Haene, in Areches, on March 10, 2022 in France JEFF PACHOUD AFP

And in his programming, this 36-year-old dad takes his family life and his extra-sporting activities into account.

A former physiotherapist, D'haene then ran a wine estate in the Beaujolais region with his wife for ten years.

A year ago, the couple stopped but continue to deliver a few bottles by bike or at a run in the mountains!

"We still have enough to have fun for 2 or 3 years. Afterwards, the idea is to find a local, friendly joint project, but more attached to the mountains. Perhaps a small alpine chalet", projects- he.

© 2022 AFP