Cross-country skiing: off to the snow for the i3 Ski Team
It’s time for the final stretch of preparation for the i3 Ski Team. We left the Savoie cross-country ski team at the beginning of September, having just completed a training camp in Forez. Since then, the cross-country skiers coached by Pierre Belingheri have gathered in Bédoin (Vaucluse), at the foot of the legendary Mont Ventoux.
“The aim was to do a course focusing on volume, the coach tells Nordic Magazine. The weather wasn’t great at the time, so we opted to go out in the sun to finish off the long hours of training in a slightly more enjoyable way. We made good use of the Ventoux, whether on foot, ski-wheeled, training or running.”
A few days later, the entire i3 Ski Team was at the start of the French rollerski championships in La Bresse (Vosges). Victor Cullet went on to win the U23 national sprint skate title, while Daphné Patois took two podium finishes in the U20 category.
“This year, we tried to emphasise the psychological, nutritional and management aspects, both in training and during the races. It’s worked quite well and has enabled us to validate some great things,” says a delighted Pierre Belingheri.
Bessans after Livigno to finish preparations
Then, after around ten days at home, a week’s altitude training took place in Font-Romeu (Pyrénées-Orientales), an unknown location for the whole group.
“We started to switch to the last phase of preparation, with time trials on skis and wheels and more specific intensives, explains the Feclaz coach. We drew a lot of inspiration from what the French team did there in September, in particular the Puigmal on skis and the Carlit in running.”
After that, the i3 Ski Team will be back in training this Thursday morning. This time, it’s Livigno (Italy) where the team is gathering for a 12-day altitude training camp on snow.
“The aim will be to get back the feeling on the cross-country skis and work at altitude, where we’ll spend the start of the competitive season in December, says Pierre Belingheri. The conditions are likely to be a little warm, but I’m not worried with the expertise they have over there, especially as it’s been skiing since Saturday. We’ll be able to train in the first slot, so we’ll have great training conditions to do a good job.”
Then, from 19 November, the i3 Ski Team’s cross-country skiers will finalise their preparations in Bessans (Savoie), competing in timed races against the other French teams and the French national team’s Group B , just a few days before the start of the national circuit on 27 and 28 November.
The composition of the i3 Ski Team for the 2024/2025 season
Ladies
- Tania Kurek 🇫🇷
- Daphné Patois 🇫🇷
- Léonie Besson 🇫🇷
- Margaux Gaillard (only in a few Ski Classics races) 🇫🇷
Men
- Victor Cullet 🇫🇷
- Noa Genest 🇫🇷
- Ugo Zanellato 🇫🇷
- Elio Jarriand 🇫🇷
- Elohann Magini 🇫🇷
- Simon Vuillet 🇫🇷
- Nathan Jouannon 🇫🇷
- The full i3 Ski Team line-up for the 2024/2025 season
- “The guiding principle was to climb as much as possible”: over the last few days, the i3 Ski Team has been running its first course of the summer.
- The i3 Ski Team met in Savoie over the last few days
- After a course in the Morvan, part of the i3 Ski Team will be heading to the Blink Festival
- “It’s a key moment when you have to manage the athletes’ change of pace”: the i3 Ski Team enters the final months of its preparations
- This winter, Margaux Gaillard (Team Vercors Isère) will be competing in the Ski Classics circuit in the colours of the i3 Ski Team.
