Biathlon: the French head to Sweden for the IBU Cup
At the time this article went online, the French biathletes selected for the opening round of the 2024/2025 IBU Cup had long since been woken up by their bell in the middle of the night.
It has to be said that Monday, just 3 days before the first race of the season, was the day set aside for the (long) journey to Idre Fjäll (Sweden). For Emilien Claude, based in Prémanon (Jura), the alarm went off at 3am. “We have to be in Geneva at 4.30am,” rookie Voldiya Galmace-Paulin told Nordic Magazine a few days ago.
“As soon as the ticket counters open, we’re going to hand the rifle over to customs,” explained Le Vosgien. After that, there will be two flights in the morning for the whole tricolour troop: the first between Geneva (Switzerland) and Zurich (Switzerland), the second between Zurich and Oslo (Norway).
5 hours by bus to finish
Camille Bened, Fany Bertrand, Anaëlle Bondoux, Paula Botet, Chloé Chevalier, Voldiya Galmace-Paulin, Emilien Claude, Antonin Guigonnat and Théo Guiraud-Poillot arrived in the Norwegian capital, Oscar Lombardot, Axel Garnier, Gaëtan Paturel, Martin Botet and Damien Levet will have a long bus journey (with a border to cross) of 5 hours to make to Idre Fjäll in the afternoon.
“The finish is scheduled for around 5.30pm,” says Voldiya Galmace-Paulin, who will be discovering the IBU Cup this week.
On the men’s side, two World Cup places will be at stake in Sweden during the sprints on Thursday and Saturday. Martin Botet and Damien Levet will not be racing in the county of Dalarna and will hit the track next week in Geilo (Norway).
The French selection for the IBU Cup in Idre Fjäll 🇸🇪 and Geilo 🇳🇴
Men
- Camille Bened – Ski Club Chablais Nordic (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
- Fany Bertrand – Club des Sports de Méribel (Savoie) 🇫🇷
- Anaëlle Bondoux – GUC Grenoble Ski (Dauphiné) 🇫🇷
- Paula Botet – ARMÉE DE CHAMPIONS / La Bressaude Ski Section (Massif des Vosges) 🇫🇷
- Chloé Chevalier – ARMÉE DE CHAMPIONS / CO des 7 Laux Grésivaudan (Dauphiné) 🇫🇷
- Voldiya Galmace-Paulin – Ski Club Villard sur Boëge (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
Men
- Oscar Lombardot – Entente Sportive Saugette (Massif Jurassien) 🇫🇷
- Emilien Claude – ARMÉE DE CHAMPIONS / Basse sur Le Rupt Nordic skiing (Massif des Vosges) 🇫🇷
- Antonin Guigonnat – ARMY OF CHAMPIONS / Ski Club Morzine Avoriaz (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
- Théo Guiraud-Poillot – Ski Club Villard sur Boëge (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
- Axel Garnier – Ski Club Sallanches (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
- Gaëtan Paturel – SCN Pays Rochois (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
- Martin Botet – Ski Club Les Menuires (Savoie) 🇫🇷 (only for Geilo)
- Damien Levet – Ski Club Grand Bornand (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷 (only for Geilo)
The full programme for the IBU Cup at Idre Fjäll 🇸🇪
Thursday 28 November
- 10.30am: Men’s 10km sprint
- 2.00pm: women’s 7.5km sprint
Saturday 30th November
- 10.30am: Men’s 10km sprint
- 2.00pm: women’s 7.5km sprint
Sunday 1st December
- 11.00am: Men’s 12.5km pursuit
- 1.45pm: Women’s 10km pursuit
The full programme for the IBU Cup in Geilo 🇳🇴
Wednesday 4 December
- 10.30am: Women’s 15km individual
- 1.50pm: Men’s 20km individual
Friday 6 December
- 10.20am: Women’s 7.5km sprint
- 2.00pm: Men’s 10km sprint
Saturday 7 December
- 11.00am: Women’s 10km pursuit
- 1.45pm: Men’s 12.5km pursuit
- The full 2024/2025 IBU Cup programme
- The last two men’s World Cup places will be decided in the sprints at the IBU Cup in Idre Fjäll
- Firsts for Martin Botet, Axel Garnier and Voldiya Galmace-Paulin: the full French team selection for the IBU Cups in Idre Fjäll and Geilo
- Biathlon | Voldiya Galmace-Paulin, aged just 19, on her first IBU Cup selection: “It’s really good to discover a new circuit, it makes you want to do it”.
- “I’m on the way up and in great shape”: the joy of Axel Garnier from Haut-Savoie, who has qualified for the IBU Cup for the first time.
- “I’ll have to be a natural to produce my biathlon at 100% of what I know how to do”: Oscar Lombardot prepares to stake his place in the World Cup at the IBU Cup in Idre Fjäll
- Théo Guiraud-Poillot’s ambitions a few days before the start of the IBU Cup: “I’m not necessarily aiming for the World Cup at the start of the season, but…”.
- Kontiolahti: no surprises in the French squad for the first stage of the World Cup
- With Johan-Olav Botn, Marit Ishol Skogan, Ida Lien, Sverre Dahlen Aspenes, Martin Uldal and the returning Sivert Guttorm Bakken: the Norwegian squad for Idre Fjäll’s IBU Cup.
