Third, the Frenchwoman signs her first podium this winter. Lou Jeanmonnot, who was unable to take part in the fight for today’s victory, keeps his yellow bib.
A first this winter for Julia Simon. The Savoyard signed her first podium of the season this Thursday, with a good third place in the sprint (7.5 km) at Oberhof, moved forward by 24 hours due to weather conditions. The Frenchwoman finished 24 seconds behind the Swedish Elvira Öberg, winner of the day.
Thanks to a flawless rifle performance, the youngest of the Oeberg sisters crossed the finish line 21 seconds ahead of Finnish Suvi Minkkinen (also 10/10), second. The Swede signs her first victory of the winter.
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A nice group shot from the French
This podium for Julia Simon is good news on a personal level for the winner of the Gros Globe de Cristal in 2023, but also for the French team as a whole: this is the fourth consecutive race with (at least) a French woman on the podium.
For his part, Lou Jeanmonnot, who did not seem in the best shape on skis, largely limited the damage. With a 9/10 in shooting, the Jurassian finished the race outside the Top 7, but kept her yellow bib, with 54 points ahead of the Norwegian Maren Kirkeeide, 4th in the sprint (10/10). The leader of the general classification will start in position for the pursuit, scheduled for Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
Océane Michelon, selected for the Olympic Games, and Jeanne Richard, who made her return among the starters on the World Cup circuit after her absence during the Annecy le Grand-Bornand stage, also finished in interesting positions for Sunday’s race, respectively 1min01 and 1min11s behind Elvira Öberg.
The two other French women, Camille Bened (26th) and Justine Braisaz-Bouchet (31st), still struggling with her prone shot, will also participate in the pursuit, but will start from further away. Before the chase, there will be a relay: it will take place on Saturday, at 2:25 p.m.
