With 42 medals, including 13 gold, the French cycling team finished in a very honorable third place in the medal table of the World Championships which ended on Sunday in Glasgow, Scotland. Except that a year before before the Paris-2024 Games, the detailed assessment is much more contrasted: in the Olympic categories, the Tricolores have certainly shone in BMX and mountain biking, but have sunk on track and on the road. Decryption
Published on: 08/14/2023 – 17:00
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The tree that hides the forest ? A hat-trick on Sunday in BMX racing and a double in cross-country mountain biking the day before enabled the Blues to finish in style the “Super Worlds” of cycling, which brought together for the first time thirteen cycling disciplines in Glasgow. But in the other disciplines, the results are rather disappointing, one year before the Olympic Games in Paris.
On the honor roll, France finished, with 42 medals including 13 gold, the third nation in these World Championships behind Great Britain and Germany. But this count includes non-Olympic disciplines and youth categories. And even a leisure competition: the Grand Fondo, where the tireless champion Jeannie Longo won in the 65-69 age group!
If we focus on the events on the Olympic program, the verdict is more mixed, with no title on the track, no medal on the road, but a shower of rewards in cross-country mountain biking and BMX racing.
Road cycling (4 events at the Olympics)
After Julian Alaphilippe’s two world championship titles in 2020 and 2021, followed by Christophe Laporte’s silver medal last year, Thomas Voeckler’s men this time did not weigh in on a terribly tough road race that only Valentin Madouas (15th) and Benoît Cosnefroy (47th) have finished. “A day to forget,” summed up Voeckler. Rémi Cavagna and Bruno Armirail also disappointed in the time trial (beyond 20th place) where Juliette Labous (5th) came close to the podium.
Sunday in the race in line, the leader of the Blues finished 16th. Given the competition, terrible at the moment, it will take a feat to get a medal in front of the Eiffel Tower next year. Note, the title of world champion for hopes Axel Laurance after an extraordinary solo raid.
Cross-country mountain biking (2 events at the Olympics)
Queen of the discipline, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot won on Saturday with more than a minute ahead of Loana Lecomte. This is the fifth title for “PFP” in the discipline, a record, and she was delighted to share the podium with the young Savoyard. “It’s true that we remain rivals, there will only be one gold medal in Paris, but we get along really well,” she said. With these two assets, France can hope for two medals at the Paris Olympics, knowing that “PFP” will aim for nothing but gold. Victor Koretzky took fourth place in the men’s category.
BMX racing (2 events at the Olympics)
A firework ! A sign of the incredible density of the blue collective, there were eight French in the quarters, six in the semis and five in the final for eight places. Result: an unprecedented hat-trick with Romain Mahieu in gold, Arthur Pilard in silver and veteran Joris Daudet in bronze. “A good omen before the Olympics”, reacted Mahieu. This will be an opportunity to lift a curse since France has never won a medal in the men’s category since the discipline became Olympic in 2008. In the women’s category, Camille Maire did not go beyond the quarter-final stage but Tessa Martinez was crowned among the hopes, ready to take over.
Track cycling (12 events at the Olympics)
The euphoria of the Worlds last year in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, the site of the Olympic Games (7 medals, including 3 gold), gave way to a mixed record for the French track, which returned from Glasgow with five medals: 2 silver, 3 bronze, including 4 in Olympic events, but no title. “We got a little shaken up,” admitted Florian Rousseau, director of the Olympic program. The disappointment comes mainly from the sprint events, with the only bronze medal in men’s team speed. Titled in 2022 in individual speed, the queen event, Mathilde Gros was eliminated in the quarters. Endurance saved the day, notably with bronze in the team pursuit and in the American for women; and silver in the omnium for Benjamin Thomas, a safe bet for the France team who will want to do better in Paris than in Tokyo (2 bronzes) and Rio (1 bronze).
BMX freestyle park (2 events at the Olympics)
Anthony Jeanjean, candidate for gold in Paris, missed his Worlds by falling during his two passages in the final to finally rank 24th. “I remain focused on Paris-2024 which is my priority. I will be ready”, promised the rider from Sérignan, triple European champion and 7th in Tokyo. Disappointment also among women where Laury Perez, who was aiming for a podium, disappeared in qualifying.
With AFP
