After 115 km, Vincent Esmiol and Ruth Croft are still dominating the Diagonale des Fous, while Hugo Deck is making a strong comeback.
Despite stomach problems, the Frenchman Vincent Esmiol is still leading the Diagonale des Fous after the 115 km. He is closely followed by Hugo Deck. In the women’s race competition, Ruth Croft currently has a comfortable lead.
Leading the Diagonale des Fous this Friday morning after 80 km , Vincent Esmiol was still leading the pack this midday after the 115 km (out of 180). At the Roche Plate aid station, in the secluded Mafate cirque, and before the grueling climb to the Col du Maïdo, the Frenchman arrived slightly later than expected, at 12:11 of local time (10:11 French time). The 30-year-old ultra-trail runner from Digne-les-Bains was slowed between Grand Place and Roche Plate due to stomach problems—a recurring issue for him—which caused him to vomiting.
This slowdown benefited Hugo Deck, who closed the gap. While he was 25 minutes behind Esmiol at Hell-Bourg and 18 minutes behind at Grand Place, the Var native was now only 7 minutes back at Roche Plate. The two-time MaXi-Race award winner in the year (2025 and 2026) also opened up a gap on his pursuer, Jean-Philippe Tschumi, who was in third place and in good form. The Swiss runner arrived at Roche Plate at 12:40 PM, 29 minutes behind Esmiol and 22 minutes behind Deck.
Evans late but motivated
Nursing a cut above his eye and a knee injury, Tom Evans is in 4th position, 16 minutes behind Tschumi. He didn’t linger too long at his feed zone, which was managed by his team manager, Laurent Ardito. Ardito told us that the Briton, who skipped the training camp in Réunion with his sponsor to stay with his family in England, was indeed not in the best shape of his life currectly. But he, who was considered the overwhelming favorite, would do everything to reach the finish line at the Stade de la Redoute in Saint-Denis, regardless of his final position. So far in the competition, he’s minimizing the damage, and doing quite well.
Absalon in the top 30
Robin Juillaguet followed Evans by a few minutes and is currently in 5th position. Returning after a two-year absence in the game, Thibaut Baronian is currently 9th position, ahead of Josh Wade (10th), Martin Kern (14th), and Gautier Airiau (16th), who suffered a vasovagal syncope and is therefore not at his best form. Former mountain bike champion Julien Absalon is 27th postion, three places ahead of the rising Franco-German star Noa Ohms .
Croft is far ahead in the women’s category
The women’s race is still largely dominated by Ruth Croft. The New Zealander, winner of the UTMB in 2025, is 25th position overall. She has a lead of nearly 30 minutes over second place, American Alyssa Clark.
Agathe Bes currently completes this virtual podium. Second at daybreak, the Frenchwoman Sarah Vieuille, who comes from a wining in the TDS (146 km) race competition at the end of August in Chamonix, has fallen back to 10th place, behind Émilie Maroteaux.
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