Ski Classics: Simon Vuillet “very happy to have such good places”.
That’s what you call a successful debut. After leaving the i3 Ski Team in the off-season to join the Slavia Pojistovna Robinson Trentino Team, Frenchman Simon Vuillet enjoyed a top-flight first weekend on the first stage of the Ski Classics circuit in Austria.
On Saturday 13 December, he first of all set the 5th fastest time in the Pro Team Tempo ; a short (7km) event run as part of a team, where the time was recorded on the second competitor in the team. Only Team Engcon with Norwegians Amund Hoel and Ole Joergen Bruvoll and Team Eksjöhus with Jérémy Royer and Vebjoern Moen did better.
The format was difficult to tackle because it was unusual,” he explained to Nordic Magazine on Monday. It’s the start of the season, we don’t have a huge perspective on our level and we’re not used to racing together. We had established a strategy, but we tried to manage each other as best we could. After leading the team for most of the distance, he finished with Germany’s Jakob Walther and gave his team its first podium finish.
“I was aiming for a top 10, but it was an ambitious target”.
The following day, in an individual format, hefinished 7th in the Bad Gastein Criterium ( 36km). The only non-Norwegian to finish in the top 10, he was delighted: “In my head, I had this ambitious goal. But the day before, we were well placed and the fairly short format suited me well. I would have preferred a more selective race though, as I don’t have the best straight on the circuit… There were around twenty of us in the sprint and I tried to get into the best possible position, but I had to manage on my own. I’m very happy to have achieved such a good result.
His first two results are in stark contrast to those of the previous season, when he finished 24th and 34th in the same events. “I’ve got off to a good start and that’s a change! It’s a good start to the season”, he shares. Back in France, he is now starting his preparations for the busy January block, which includes La Diagonela (Switzerland, 17 January), the Marcialonga (Italy, 25 January) and the Jizerska (Czech Republic, 1 February). One race in particular will be targeted by Team Slavia Pojistovna Robinson Trentino: “We’ll be keen to perform well on the Marcialonga, as that’s where the team is based. I’m confident that I’ll be able to get there in good shape.
Will there be a leader status, after his promising inaugural performances? “I don’t know if we can talk about it that way. It’s not important, everyone does their own race. There aren’t any who sacrifice themselves. But yes, I’m one of the strongest this winter. Who will now be under a little more scrutiny from his rivals.
- Simon Vuillet explains his decision to join Team Slavia Pojistovna Robinson Trentino: “This project seemed to me to be the most coherent way of continuing to progress”.
- Calle Halvarsson doesn’t understand the choice of Alvar Myhlback, who will try to spend his entire winter on the Ski Classics.
- “I really want to devote myself 100% to the Ski Classics circuit”: Margaux Gaillard explains why she switched from Team Vercors Isère to Team Futura Trentino.
- Jérémy Royer tells Nordic Magazine about his ambitions on the Ski Classics circuit: “I want to be on the podium”.
