Biathlon: Germany’s Mareike Braun takes on the reigning world sprint champion in La Féclaz
There was a big surprise at midday on Saturday in the women’s sprint at the Summer Tour biathlon in La Féclaz (Savoie). The race favourite, Beaufort native Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, who has just spent two weeks training in Bessans (Savoie) rather than Ramsau (Austria), did not win.
It was Germany’s Mareike Braun (8/10) who took a prestigious victory with a lead of just 7 tenths of a second over the French rider (7/10), the reigning world champion in the discipline.
After a perfect dismount, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet let three balls escape her on her feet. Despite a fast last lap on skis and wheels, she was less than a second behind her rival.
The other sensation of this sprint was the great form shown by the German women as Julia Vogler (10/10), in the lead after the recumbent, completed the podium at 4 sec 3 while Charlotte Gallbronner (9/10) was fourth at 9 sec 2.
Fany Bertrand and Sophie Chauveau on the French podium, a convincing comeback for Camille Coupé
Fany Bertrand (10/10) took a fine fifth place, followed in the top 10 by Sophie Chauveau (6/10), Camille Bened (9/10), Camille Coupé (8/10), making a solid return to competition, Amandine Mengin (9/10) and Célia Henaff (8/10).
Eleventh overall, Louise Roguet (8/10) won the under-21 category and took the lead of the French summer biathlon championships, a few seconds ahead of Lola Bugeaud (8/10) and Lou-Anne Dupont Ballet-Baz (8/10). Voldiya Galmace-Paulin did not start the sprint due to a cold.
Coralie Perrin was sixteenth (7/10), Lisa Siberchicot seventeenth (9/10), Eve Bouvard from Belgium eighteenth (9/10), Namou Candau-Armand twentieth (8/10), twenty-first for Britain’s Chloé Dupont (10/10), twenty-third for Maëla Correia (10/10), twenty-fifth for Switzerland’s Coralie Langel (8/10), twenty-eighth for Gilonne Guigonnat (7/10) and thirty-fifth for Caline Pic (6/10).
Full results
Officiels-SPRINT-U21-SEN-DAMES- The full programme for the Summer Tour de La Féclaz, taking place this weekend at the Alexis Bœuf stadium.
- Namou Candau-Armand explains the Alexis Bœuf stadium in La Féclaz, where the second stage of the Summer Tour takes place this weekend: “I really like the undulating profile of the track”.
- “Ten months and two operations later, Camille Coupé will be at the start of the Summer Tour de La Féclaz.
- The Summer Tour of La Féclaz rather than the Loop One Festival in Munich for Justine Braisaz-Bouchet
- On home soil, Nans Vercueil wins the opening U17 men’s sprint of the Summer Tour at La Féclaz
- Summer Tour de La Féclaz: Janie Picard triumphs in the U17 women’s sprint
