Theo Sillon and Laly Chaucheprat were unbeatable.

Telemark in Carezza: France celebrates twice

Theo Sillon and Laly Chaucheprat from France won the second sprint race of the FIS Telemark World Cup on the Masarè slope at the Karerpass on Thursday. After finishing second on Wednesday, local favorite Raphael Mahlknecht (Völs) had to settle for seventh place this time.

15 January 2026

From: pm

The Swiss national anthem was played twice at the awards ceremony on Wednesday – 24 hours later, the Marseillaise rang out twice at the Franzin Alm. Theo Sillon was unbeatable in the men's competition. The 26-year-old completed the two runs in 1:57.67 minutes, 0,65 seconds faster than Wednesday's winner, Nicolas Michel. Yoann Rostolan, another member of the strong French national team, finished third. For Sillon, it was the second World Cup victory of his career, and his first in a sprint.

“I’m very happy, especially because I suffered a serious knee injury last season and am now making my comeback. Is Carezza Dolomites a classic? Absolutely! I always love coming here, the mountains, the snow, it’s all fantastic,” said Sillon, who finished third last year at the foot of the Rosengarten.

Mahlknecht falls behind

Raphael Mahlknecht finished seventh. Based on his skiing time, the 24-year-old would have even been in third place, but two penalty seconds in the final jump for failing to reach the minimum distance prevented him from securing his second podium finish within 24 hours. Mahlknecht was understandably disappointed: "Overall, the conclusion after the home World Cup is positive, but today's race is really bothering me. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to get back into the top three. My goal this year is to finish further up the field. And eventually, to beat the Swiss and French."

Raphael Mahlknecht from South Tyrol.

Laly Chaucheprat triumphed in the women's race. The 27-year-old finished in 2:09.80, breaking the 2:10 barrier, and celebrated her fourth World Cup victory. Chaucheprat had a relatively large lead of 2,93 seconds over second-placed Goril Strom Eriksen (Norway). Lea Lathion, Wednesday's winner, finished third, 3,60 seconds behind the day's winner.

“This is my first World Cup victory here in Carezza Dolomites. A slope I didn’t particularly like at first. But that changed last year when I came second. Besides the races, I’m also working on a second project this year. I’m filming a documentary about myself and telemark skiing, and I want to contribute to promoting our sport,” said Chaucheprat after the awards ceremony.

The organizers' conclusion

Stephan Vieider made an excellent debut as race director at the FIS Telemark World Cup in Carezza Dolomites, managing the two days of racing with his team with aplomb. His assessment was correspondingly positive. "This was our fourth time hosting the FIS Telemark World Cup, and we've managed to improve even in the smallest details this year. Everything ran smoothly, and the weather actually cooperated quite well. The athletes delivered outstanding performances, which deserve our congratulations. The racecourse was in sensational condition – as are all the other slopes in our ski area. A huge thank you goes to our team and the many volunteers who, together with our partners and sponsors, made this FIS Telemark World Cup possible in the first place," said Vieider at the closing awards ceremony.

FIS Telemark World Cup Carezza Dolomites 2025/26 – Results 2nd sprint race

Women:
1. Laly Chaucheprat FRA 2.09,80
2. Goril Strom Eriksen NOR 2.12,73
3. Lea Lathion SUI 2.13,40
4. Camille Bourbon FRA 2.16,19
5. Anne Katharina Kessler GER 2.20,12

Men:
1. Theo Sillon FRA 1.57,67
2. Nicolas Michel SUI 1.58,32
3. Yoann Rostolan FRA 1.58,60
4. Timo Walser SUI 1:59.51
5. Charly Petex FRA 1.59,64