Cross-country skiing: Massif jurassien double in the U16 mass-start classic at Les Saisies
On Sunday morning, the third and final day of the 2025 French Championships in Les Saisies (Savoie) kicked off with the 7.5km men’s U16 mass-start classic. In this last effort of the winter, it was the Jura mountains that dominated the proceedings.
While the best riders took off early on, it was Mattéo Vandel and Gaby Thomas who opened up a decisive gap in the second of the three laps. Isolated at the front of the race, the Jurassiens were not seen again by their rivals and went on to claim the gold medal in the final pack.
In a strong simultaneous push, it was finally the Bois-d’Amonier Mattéo Vandel who managed to make the difference, beating silver-haired Gaby Thomas by just a few metres, who can console himself with this defeat by winning the French U16 Cup.
Montblanc’s Joss Levet in bronze to avoid the Massif jurassien treble
It feels great and it’s incredible to win in front of one of my training buddies,” the new French champion told Nordic Magazine afterwards. It’s magnificent, it’s just happiness and a lot of pressure has been lifted! It’s a lot of pressure gone. We’ve been preparing for this since the start of the season. The fact that it’s come to fruition feels really good.
For bronze, Rochois Joss Levet beat Arthur Marguet to avoid a treble for the men of the Massif jurassien ski committee. Solal Jonnard, from Club Elite Hautes-Alpes, Armand Nauche, Thibault Perrier-Gustin, Maël Charles, Raphaël Marrel and Tiebe De Stryker all made it into the top 10.
Full results
- The full programme for the 2025 French Championships in Les Saisies
- Les Saisies: Joséphine Dode and Jérémy Marchand set the fastest times in the U16 sprint skateboard qualifiers
- Les Saisies: U18 free sprint qualifiers for Gaia Musso and Gaspard Cottaz
- Les Saisies: Margot Tirloy and Loris Chevalier were the fastest U20 sprint skating qualifiers
- Les Saisies: Maëlle Veyre and Jules Chappaz win the free sprint qualifying rounds of the French championships
- Les Saisies: Zoé Bray and Alex Laroche French U16 sprint skateboard champions
- Les Saisies: U18 sprints at the French championships for Marie Demor and Gaspard Cottaz
- Les Saisies: U20 sprint skate gold medals for Margot Tirloy and Quentin Lespine
- Les Saisies: Mélina Berthet French sprint skateboard champion ahead of Liv Coupat and Juliette Ducordeau
- French Championships in Les Saisies: Richard Jouve takes gold in the sprint skateboard event by a whisker ahead of Jules Chappaz
- Les Saisies: Mont-Blanc, with Anouchka Neuville, Margot Tirloy and Mélissa Gal, takes the women’s classic relay title
- Les Saisies: Montblancers Mallory Moreau, Johan Calandry and Clément Parisse are French champions in the classic relay
