2023-09-23 13:00:09
The Dutchman Van der Poel, the Swiss Schurter or the Frenchwoman Ferrand-Prévot… The excitement could be seen on the faces of the mountain bike stars on Friday in Elancourt (Yvelines). Forty-eight hours before the Olympic test, the best drivers on the planet met to discover the track (4.3 km long) traced on this artificial hill in the west of Paris and on which the title will be played out in a year during the Paris Olympics.
This is the obsession of Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, 31, already present in London in 2012 but never crowned. Crowned with a fifth world title (her 15th in all disciplines) in mid-August in Glasgow (United Kingdom), the leader of the French team says she appreciated the recognition.
After a reconnaissance on foot then by bike, what are your first impressions of this route?
PAULINE FERRAND-PRÉVOT. It’s going to be hard, it’s a course that’s super physical, demanding, that’s a good thing for me. There are two or three technical parts but it is not like the circuit of the Tokyo Games (Editor’s note: she finished 10th in 2021) which was very technical. Frankly, it’s quite a nice discovery (smile).
Overall, the course seems quite rolling with a lot of stabilized additions in places. This should not displease you…
It’s the same for everyone. And if it’s not a pleasant course to ride, it’s rather tailored to me so I’m not going to say that I don’t like it. Afterwards, given the configuration, we can be sure that the strongest will win
Have you spotted any pitfalls?
Yes, there are quite a few pitfalls. In addition, on my last (reconnaissance) lap, I was a little hypoglycemic. It’s been a long day and when you’re a little less lucid, there are little stones left and right. In this case, you get manhandled… Even the little woods, in the end, there is nothing dangerous but it looks like a cycling school course. It’s slippery, there are trees, bends and you have to stay vigilant. There’s something for everyone.
In Glasgow, during the last World Championships, you criticized the course, arguing that it had not been tested, that it could be dangerous and was rather designed to produce beautiful images. There, on this hill, it is also an artificial course. Do you feel different?
This route comes out of nowhere when you know the history of this hill, it’s totally incredible. Afterwards, the test event is also used for that: to get feedback and impressions from everyone. Here, it’s less dangerous than in Glasgow. On the obstacles, there are a lot of escape routes so as not to get hurt.
In just a few laps, can we already imagine the Games?
(she cuts) But I’m already in it since Tokyo! I was impatiently waiting for this day, to be able to discover this route. I was happy to win in Glasgow and retain my world champion titles, but the ultimate goal is to be Olympic champion here. It is therefore one more step forward.
In the end, we feel rather reassured…
Yes, it’s the first time I’ve had a good feeling on the Games course so I don’t know if it’s a good sign (she bursts out laughing).
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