Cross-country skiing: Lucas Chanavat takes advantage of Federico Pellegrino’s downgrading to climb onto the podium
Beaten in the final last Saturday in the classic sprint of the French stage at Les Rousses (Jura), Lucas Chanavat arrived at the cross-country skiing world cup in the Engadine (Switzerland) with the firm ambition of returning to the podium.
Fourth in the sprint skate qualifier held a few hours earlier, the Frenchman thought he would make it through to the official ceremony rewarding the top 3. However, in a fast-paced final set by Edvin Anger, the cross-country skier from Grand-Bornand (Haute-Savoie) was caught out in the final metres.
Indeed, in the final straight Federico Pellegrino hung on to finish strongly and catch the Frenchman by a whisker. In doing so, the experienced Italian was aiming for his forty-seventh career podium , a week after not taking part in the Jura races.
However, guilty of an obstruction, the transalpine was downgraded long minutes after the race. The jury’s decision allowed Lucas Chanavat to climb onto the third step of the box and claim his twenty-fourth podium on the circuit.
Edvin Anger takes on Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo
At the head of the race, Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo and Edvin Anger engaged in a duel of anthology. Full of energy throughout the tournament, the big Swede pushed the Norwegian ogre to the limit. However, as the boss of the discipline, the current world number one still managed to get the better of his young rival.
By crossing the line first, he claimed his ninety-third career victory at the highest international level. Edvin Anger, who won in Les Rousses (Jura) just a week ago, confirmed his rise to prominence a month ahead of the World Championships in Trondheim (Norway).
Behind Lucas Chanavat, two other French players lined up for the finals. Richard Jouve , who was not selected as a lucky loser at the semi-final stage, came very close to returning to a World Cup final. However, Rémi Bourdin‘s adventure came to an end in the quarter-finals, where he finished third in his group.
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- Engadine: Lucas Chanavat, Richard Jouve and Rémi Bourdin pass over the skate sprint qualifier won by Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo
- Engadine: Jonna Sundling wins the sprint skateboard qualification, Léna Quintin is the only Frenchwoman in the next round
- Engadine: Jens Burman, Emma Ribom, Edvin Anger and Moa Ilar win the mixed relay ahead of Norway’s Paal Golberg, Nora Sanness, Iver Tildheim Andersen and Kristin Austgulen Fosnæs.
- Engadine: Norway’s Karoline Simpson-Larsen withdraws from the mixed relay
- Finland welcome back Krista Pärmäkoski and Rémi Lindholm for the World Cup in Engadin
- The bad run continues for Alexander Bolshunov in Russia
- Trondheim: an environmental movement threatens to disrupt the 50-kilometre world championship race
- Engadine: why didn’t France enter any teams in the mixed relay?
