2024-01-05 17:28:03
It’s as if there never was a Christmas break. After her exceptional hat-trick three weeks ago in Lenzerheide (Switzerland), Justine Braisaz-Bouchet did it again. The 27-year-old Frenchwoman won the inaugural sprint (10 km) of the World Cup weekend in Oberhof (Germany) this Friday, ahead of German Franziska Preuss and her compatriot Sophie Chauveau. And yet, she could have been discouraged from the start.
Starting off at full speed with her general classification leader’s tunic hanging tightly on her shoulders, the Savoyard had a normally crippling shot to win, with two entry errors. This was without taking into account his speed on skis, undoubtedly the key to not flinching after a setback capable of demobilizing.
On her standing shot, there is a transformation: Justine Braisaz-Bouchet refuels, and, although she still has a handicap of 24 seconds on the clock, the Frenchwoman finishes the race with a bang. It is therefore under the gray sky of the demanding German track that the young mother shines again, and above all consolidates her status as leader overall ahead of the Norwegian Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold, only 17th.
“This morning, I told myself that a victory in a sprint is possible,” said Beaufortaine to the microphone of the L’Equipe channel. It’s not a perfect race, but a good result. I was in great shape on the skis today. The Christmas break allowed me to find freshness and sensations that I hadn’t felt since the start of the season. »
But it wasn’t the only Habs to have fire in their legs when they crossed the starting gate. Sophie Chauveau climbed onto her very first World Cup podium, two tenths from second place, after a 9/10 behind the rifle, but, once again, a remarkable skiing time. The 24-year-old Haut-Savoyarde revealed herself last year in Grand-Bornand, finishing fourth in the sprint. And the Bleues festival didn’t stop there: for her first in the World Cup, Jeanne Richard, 21, placed eighth in front of her compatriots Lou Jeanmonnot and Julia Simon.
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