The European Championships in Apeldoorn (Netherlands) ended with a nice smile for the French delegation this Sunday. Valentine Fortin and Marion Borras won the American, beating the Belgians Lotte Kopecky-Katrijn De Clercq.
“It was a bit of a crazy race but at the finish, we had a great moment,” smiles Marion Borras who finished 5th in Paris-Roubaix last year with St Michel-Mavic-Auber 93. I changed four teammates due to the health concerns of Marie (Le Net), Victoire (Berteau) and Clara (Copponi). We had to adapt and stay focused. But I never gave up. We wanted this jersey so much… After the team pursuit (a mechanical problem had forced him to stop his effort from the start) I couldn’t wait to show that I was there, that I had worked and that it could pay off. I have difficulty realizing this. Now, I’m going to go back down, rest before starting my road season, I hope at the UAE Tour with St Michel. »
A little earlier, Oscar Nilsson-Julien (22), a native of London but who has chosen to represent France since 2023 after racing for Great Britain, had won bronze in the points race.
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The duo Valentine FORTIN / Marion BORRAS in GOLD ???? on the Madison ????NILSSON-JULIEN Oscar gets the bronze medal ???? in the points course!
Congratulations to the French team and the staff ???? pic.twitter.com/U1NuNifbSJ
— FFC (@FFCyclisme) January 14, 2024
The sprinters disappoint
On the other hand, the sprinters suffered a new disappointment in the keirin after having already left empty-handed in individual speed. Sébastien Vigier, eliminated in the quarter-finals quickly, finished 5th in his keirin final. Mathilde Gros and Marie Divine Kouamé finished 4th and 6th in the women’s keirin.
In total, the French team leaves with eight medals from the Netherlands: two in gold (Clara Copponi in scratch, Valentine Fortin- Marion Borras in American F), three in silver (Florian Grengbo- Sébastien Vigier-Rayan Helal in team speed H, Thomas Boudat-Donavan Grondin in the American H, Marie-Divine Kouamé in the 500 m) and three bronze (Melvin Landerneau in the kilometer, Valentine Fortin in the Omnium F, Oscar Nilsson-Julien in the points race H).
A suitable numerical balance sheet. But that doesn’t mask a few failures. First of all, the new disappointment in women’s team speed which played very big during the first day on Wednesday. Ninth in the world rankings, the French sprinters must be among the top eight nations to qualify the collective and obtain several quotas at the Olympics. But Mathilde Gros, Marie-Divine Kouamé and Julie Michaux, 6th in qualifying, were eliminated in the first round, losing to the Poles, their main rivals in the race for Olympic qualification.
“We are going to fight, nothing is decided”
“We are disappointed with our time. But it’s like that. We are in our place for the moment. But nothing is done. We can still go for Mexico, Canada, or New Zealand for the Olympic ticket. We are going to fight, nothing is decided,” explained Mathilde Gros. But the Blues will have to score points during the Nations Cup rounds, in Adelaide (February 2-4), Hong Kong (March 15-17) and Milton (April 12-14) to enter the Top 8.
“Our competitors, Polish in particular, remain narrowly ahead of us but we are still alive. There are other competitions remaining and it is still playable. We’re going to give it until the end,” said the sprinters’ coach Grégory Baugé.
In individual speed, Mathilde Gros, who had been ill at the French Championships, finished 4th on Friday. “I’m not arriving here in Olympic form, it’s just a stage,” she said. To be 4th here is a shame. There was a beautiful jersey at stake. But if I miss the podium here and become Olympic Champion this summer, I would have done well. These Championships, we will not remember them. There is no question of doubt at all. Now is not the time for that. I’m not going to feel sorry for myself. My number one goal is to be in front of them, but also in front of all the other competitors on D-Day, at the Olympic Games. »
Suffering, Benjamin Thomas, the five-time world champion and leader of the French endurance team, only participated in one event, the omnium on Saturday. The Cofidis rider had to abandon it.
