Cross-country skiing: Jérémy Royer is the first Frenchman to stand on a Ski Classics podium
Jérémy Royer put in a historic performance on Saturday in La Diagonela, the third event of the Ski Classics season, contested between Pontresina (Switzerland) and Zuoz (Switzerland). Second in the final pack, the 26-year-old French cross-country skier expressed his delight to Nordic Magazine.
“I’m very satisfied, because I’ve been training for this for several years now. It’s a lot of hours and a lot of hard racing.”
The emotion is all the greater for the skier from Chamrousse (Isère), who is well aware of the significance of his performance. “It’s the first Ski Classics podium for a Frenchman. I think I’m sharing it with a lot of people. There are a lot of people who support me in what I do. […] I’ve been through a lot with all my French teams who have helped me. First I attacked the Ski Classics with Team Vercors Isère. […] Then there was TNE [Team Nordic Expérience Coste – Fromageries Marcel Petite]. Without these teams, it’s complicated to get to where I am today.
” I knew that placement was very important”.Jérémy Royer at Nordic Magazine
On the track, this result was the fruit ofa lucidly managed race. From the outset, the strategy was clear for the Team Eksjöhus cross-country skiers. “We more or less had a plan with the team. The idea was to make the race harder from the start. [The more the race progressed, the better I felt, and our skis got better and better.
At the front, he was fully involved in the selection. When the first gap appeared with 7 kilometres to go, he took responsibility. “I went to the front and attacked again to make sure the gap widened. When he was caught again, he didn’t panic and mentally focused on the finish.
It all came down to the final climb through the narrow streets of Zuoz. A key point that he had carefully anticipated. “I’d watched what happened in previous years. I knew that positioning was very important. Although he wasn’t ideally positioned at the foot of the climb, he made the most of his race intelligence. “With a kilometre to go, it was really my aim to be well placed. Then the sprint began. “I followed what I had to do, and that’s what got me second place.
Despite this superb result, Jérémy Royer is not getting carried away, given the difficulty of the circuit. “In the Ski Classics, you have to remain humble. There’s form, equipment and luck”. Currently in training in Seefeld (Austria), he will be at the start of the Marcialonga next weekend: “It’s my favourite race, I love the atmosphere there. With every possible hope: “I’m in good shape. We need to keep working and take every opportunity we can.
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