Biathlon : best pursuit time for Fabien Claude
On Sunday, Vosgien Fabien Claude set the record straight by taking fourth place in the pursuit at the Biathlon World Cup in Ruhpolding (Germany), after an impressive comeback. He set the fastest time overall, more than 29 seconds ahead of runner-up Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen. On skis, the Frenchman also set the fastest time, more than 14 seconds ahead of Sweden’s Martin Ponsiluoma.
The day before, the Frenchman left the German track with a feeling of unfinished business. Despite having “legs of fire”, he could do no better than37th place in the sprint, weighed down by four shooting errors. It was a disappointment that was still keenly felt when he set off on the pursuit.
“I think that after yesterday I had some revenge to take. I was really disappointed. It‘s frustrating when you’re 37th with your legs on fire and you can see that in terms of ski time you’re up there with the very best,” he told La Chaîne L’Équipe.
Fabien Claude started from a long way back and gradually made up the deficit, firing two full shots on the downhill and limiting the damage on the upright to score a solid 18/20. Round after round, the Frenchman worked his way up the rankings. “I did four laps in the groups, I was clever. And at one point [on the last lap], I put the mine in the bump to get back up to 5th place”, he explained.
A small strategic error in the final deprived him of a podium finish. “I didn’t see Ponsiluoma coming up on my left. If I stay on the left, he can never get past. It’s a shame, because the straight was more for me”, he regretted.
“The best shape of my life
Beyond the raw result, it was above all the physical feeling that left its mark. With just a few days to go to the Olympic Games in Milan/Cortina, Fabien Claude looks as strong as ever. “I think I’m perhaps in the best shape of my life at the moment. Two weeks before the Games, three weeks, it’s a really good omen,” he said.
“When I found myself with the best on the last lap, I saw that I had some. When it’s like that, it’s magnificent. I hope it will continue and that I’ll be able to enjoy big races like that”, he concluded, looking ahead to what’s to come.
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