Cross-country skiing: two newcomers to the World Cup at the races in Les Rousses
Of the sixteen French cross-country skiers selected for the World Cup in Les Rousses (Jura), scheduled for 17-19 January at the Tuffes stadium, two will be donning a number on the most prestigious of international circuits for the very first time. They are former Savoie biathlete Victor Cullet Calderini and Féclaz native Ivan Essonnier.
Both of them, obviously happy and proud, agreed to give Nordic Magazine their first reaction.
Victor Cullet Calderini: “I’m going there in a state of mind to perform, even if I want to enjoy it too”
“I’m quite satisfied with my start to the season, I’ve achieved the objectives I set myself, even if there’s always room for improvement. In the distance, I really stepped up the pace as we’d expected, getting better with each race. In the sprint, I had a few problems expressing myself at 100%, I felt restricted, especially in the qualifiers.”
“I found out I’d been selected early afternoon on Monday [6 January] when I got back from Oberwiesenthal. I was so tired and bedridden that I didn’t really realise it at the time. It was when I went back to training the next day that it really hit me! I was training for a World Cup!”
“I’m very satisfied, it’s well deserved. I’ve been fighting for this for two years and it’s great that it’s finally happening, especially as it’s in France. It makes it all the more special.”
“I’m lucky enough to be doing all three races! I’m going there with a performance mindset, even though I want to enjoy myself too. That’s what interests me most, especially when it’s my first time. I can’t wait to discover this new world, where everything is bigger, more stressful and higher stakes than the European Cup. That’s all there is to it!”
Ivan Essonnier: “I’m going to enjoy myself and savour this event, which is no mean feat”
“In the plan my coach and I had drawn up, the World Cup was kind of in the back of my mind. Even though, at the start of the season, it wasn’t my main objective and I wanted to qualify for the FESA Cup first. The aim was to do well there and earn a place at the U23 Worlds. To have won the classic sprint [in Oberwiesenthal] and to have my ticket for Les Rousses is incredible.”
“I didn’t really expect to be selected because I’m still young. And even though I had a good FESA Cup the week before, I didn’t expect to get it. It’s great to be able to discover this circuit and express myself against the best.”
“I’ve heard a lot about it, particularly from Arnaud Chautemps and other athletes. They told me it was incredible and that there was a crazy atmosphere. Now that I’m a senior, I was really looking forward to it because the World Cup has become something of a goal. Even if it’s not an end in itself, it’s something to aspire to when you leave the U23s. I’ve still got a year to wait, but it’s a good experience to have already discovered that and I can’t wait.”
“I’m only going to race the classic sprint and I’m going to go into it in a state of discovery, taking everything there is to take. I’m going to do the skiing that I know how to do, as I’ve been doing since the start of the season. I’m going to enjoy myself and savour this event, which is no mean feat.”
“At the start of the winter, I made a lot of progress in the classic sprint. I didn’t expect to become such a ‘player’ in these races. That’s more than positive and shows that I’ve made some big steps forward in my training. The only slight downside is that I’m regular over distances in France but not yet internationally. I’m not worrying about that because I know it can become a strength later on.”
- The (large) French selection for the Les Rousses World Cup
- “Cloé Pagnier, Clémence Didierlaurent, Léonie Besson, Mélina Berthet and Justine Gaillard, selected for the World Cup for the first time in Les Rousses, were thrilled to hear: “The culmination of a lot of things”, “It’s going to be crazy”, “It’s just wow!
