The track cycling world championships, which animated the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines velodrome for four days before ending this Sunday, were like a great rehearsal before the Paris Olympics. Firstly because these Worlds were taking place in the arena chosen for the future Olympiads, then because the said Olympiads are being held in less than two years. What add extra pressure for a long-awaited French team at home.
The test was passed brilliantly and noisily, in an enclosure regularly awakened by blue performances. With seven charms, including three in gold and three in silver, France finished third nation in the medal table, ahead of the Netherlands and Italy and tied with Germany. Either his best result since 2017 and a real rebound with regard to the Tokyo Olympics: two small bronze medals were gleaned there.
To embody this revival, there are first two young women: Mathilde Gros, 23, who won the queen speed race on Friday evening, and Marie-Divine Kouamé, only 20, who won the 500m Saturday. They both succeed the great Félicia Ballanger, the last to bring France world titles in these disciplines in… 1999. “When I tell myself that I am world champion, I still do not believe it too much, breathed Mathilde Gros this Sunday, at the end of the keirin event where she finished 4th. It’s been a very good week for the whole French team. An audience like that is rare, it gave us wings and I tell them: see you in two years.
A reorganization a year ago
The two Bleues were joined by a male duo, who also adorned themselves with the rainbow jersey of world champions: Benjamin Thomas and Donavan Grondin, who won this Sunday afternoon the American. Either a very spectacular race, where the runners take turns shaking hands to pass relays and score points during regular sprints. But also when they manage to put a lap of the velodrome in the view of their competitors, which the tandem has managed to achieve, particularly thanks to a Benjamin Thomas in great shape, like his season on the road within the Cofidis team.
To these gold medals are added fine second places: those of Melvin Landerneau in the kilometer, Benjamin Thomas, again him, in the omnium and the Clara Copponi-Valentine Fortin tandem in the American, outclassed at the very end of the race by Belgians long behind but who managed to take a lap of the velodrome from them. Bronze in the women’s team pursuit, with Marion Borras and Victoire Berteau, completes the harvest. Among the disappointments, Sébastien Vigier and Rayan Helal in the men’s sprint missed their tournament.
In view of this assessment, the French Cycling Federation can congratulate itself on having reorganized everything by bringing back, a year ago, the triple Olympic champion Florian Rousseau as director of the Olympic program. He was joined in March by Grégory Baugé, another figure on the French track, who became national sprint coach. Upon arriving, Forian Rousseau initiated a reorganization with coaches now “focused only on the preparation of the teams of France A”, strengthened the performance unit and placed emphasis on “the mental dimension to performance”with the use of psychologists to learn how to manage the pressure. “That’s also preparing for the Games”, insisted Florian Rousseau before the start of the Worlds. The fruits are already harvesting.