Cross-country skiing: Hugo Lapalus and Mathis Desloges finish the Tour de Ski on top of Alpe Cermis
The virus finally got them. Just back in France, Hugo Lapalus and Mathis Desloges also contracted the first flu-like symptoms that affected most of theFrench cross-country skiing team at the last Tour de Ski. Alexandre Rousselet, who is in charge of the World Cup group, was not spared either.
Tired after a long return to the roads of Italy, the Doubiste rider nevertheless took the time to talk about the tricolour tour, in particular the winning of the purple bib , but alsoHugo Lapalus ‘s third place overall and the difficulties encountered by the women’s team. We spoke to Nordic Magazine.
- A few hours after your return to France, what is your initial assessment of the Tour de Ski?
We still had a few scares. We started the Tour de Ski with thirteen athletes and finished with two cross-country skiers at the top of the final climb. Every day, we wondered whether everyone was going to make it to the end. It was psychologically complicated too, even for them. But in the end, they came through. We got the overall podium and then the purple jersey, which is always important with Hugo [Lapalus]. Mathis [Desloges] confirmed his place and it’s no mean feat to do it in the Tour when you’re a young senior like him.
- Is it important to see your athletes competing in a wide range of formats because that hasn’t always been the case?
We’ve been working on versatility for a few years now. Of course, we don’t have a king like [Johannes Hoesflot] Klæbo who expresses himself everywhere but I think that, for Hugo, it has enabled him to complete his palette. Of course, it’s still difficult in the qualifying stages of a sprint, but in the rest, like the finishes, he’s improved.
- What did you think of the purple jersey you mentioned?
All these little details are extremely important in a Tour de Ski. You also have to be a good climber and we saw that again this year. This jersey is a good thing coming from the FIS. It’s an extra carrot and it highlights the climbers in the peloton.
- So the balance sheet looks pretty positive…
There are a few more negative points, though. It’s been very difficult for the girls. There’s a problem at the moment. Our two leaders were absent [Delphine Claudel and Flora Dolci, editor’s note]. Still, it was good to get the younger girls like Léonie Perry up there. It was important for her to come and she did really well. She did some good things but unfortunately she was also ill. I think we’ll have a chance to see her again soon. For the other girls, it was still very tough over the distances.
“We expect a little more from them”Alexandre Rousselet at Nordic Magazine
- Can you explain these difficulties?
It’s a bit complicated at the moment. We have to let the storm pass and hope that things will pick up a little later in the season. We often talk about it with the staff. With Delphine injured and Flora ill, the momentum has been a bit off. There were some grounds for satisfaction on the Davos stage, particularly for Léna [Quintin], Mélissa [Gal] and Julie [Pierrel]. After that, we expect a bit more from them too. We have higher standards. They’ve worked well, but for the moment it’s still fragile. The situation is less clear-cut than for the boys.
- This Tour de Ski has also been marked by a number of illnesses. How do you manage a virus within a team?
It’s complicated because, when a disease or virus enters the team, we have protocols and we are careful. We try to isolate patients as soon as possible. We wear masks and we don’t mix people at the table. We try to do things properly, but in fact it’s a virus and it’s going to affect each person one after the other. In a group, this can lead to tension, even if things have gone well for us. It can cause tension, so we’re keeping a high level of vigilance.
We need to be even better in this area. Since Covid, we’ve realised that our immunity is quite low, even though we’re being even more careful. Athletes are still falling ill and it’s spreading faster than before. In the end, we still had Hugo and Mathis who performed well when it could have been a disaster. We got up in the morning with a little apprehension.
- What’s next for the French team?
There is now a recovery period. Everyone is going to take advantage of this time to look after themselves and recharge their batteries. The weekend in Les Rousses will soon be here. And after that, our main objective remains the Worlds in Trondheim.
“We’ll be proud to play in front of our fans”Alexandre Rousselet at Nordic Magazine
- This stage in Les Rousses (Jura) must be on many people’s minds…
The atmosphere in Les Rousses was superb two years ago. We’re hoping to recapture all that and even better this year. The track has also changed, especially the sprint track. We’re very happy about that. Mathis and Hugo’s results in the Tour are motivating. In addition to the current group, we’ll have a lot of young athletes arriving who will be able to discover the circuit. We’ll be proud to perform in front of our home crowd.
Read also
- “It was still a crazy fight”: one year on, Hugo Lapalus has again finished on the podium in the overall classification of the Tour de Ski.
- Mika Vermeulen, first Austrian on the Tour de Ski podium
- Photo album of Hugo Lapalus’s podium finish in the Tour de Ski general classification
- Tour de Ski: Therese Johaug equals Justyna Kowalczyk by winning her fourth Tour de Ski
- Tour de Ski: Simen Hegstad Krueger takes revenge on Alpe Cermis
- Val di Fiemme: Therese Johaug alone in the world to claim her ninth victory at the top of Alpe Cermis on the Tour de Ski
- Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo’s father and sister have also climbed the Alpe Cermis.
- Tour de Ski: Hugo Lapalus wins the first purple Tour de Ski best climber bib
- Tour de Ski: solid fourth place at the top of Alpe Cermis, Hugo Lapalus takes his second top 3 overall in a row
- Val di Fiemme: Hugo Lapalus just off the podium at the top of the Alpe Cermis, Simen Hegstad Krueger in control
- Tour de Ski: after his fall with serious consequences, Simen Hegstad Krueger is going to climb Alpe Cermis “aggressively”.
- Val di Fiemme: start lists for the final climbs of the Tour de Ski
