Cross-country skiing: Simon Vuillet’s birthday present
Simon Vuillet proved to be the strongest runner in the classic Marathon de Bessans (Savoie) on Saturday. The Jura native gave himself a great birthday present. He celebrated his 25th birthday the day before. “It’s a great present and it’s certainly nice,” he told Nordic Magazine about his success.
- How do you feel after winning the classic 30 kilometre Bessans Marathon?
I’m really pleased. It was my objective to win after my good results at the start of the season. I really wanted to win it. It’s my first victory in a marathon in France. It’s good to start like that. It’s always important to get the ball rolling. We ran a great race as a team. I’m very happy with the double with Nathan [Jouannon, editor’s note]. We handled the race really well, so it’s perfect.

- How did the race go?
We decided to go on the offensive from the start of the race. We wanted to get someone into a breakaway. Three of us set off with Nathan and Bastien Laurent. We did the first lap together. We took turns. On the second lap, at the most difficult part of the course, I accelerated. I managed to pull away and immediately opened up a gap. After that, I did what was necessary to maintain my lead.

- This season, you’re specialising in Ski Classics. How would you rate your debut?
I’m pretty happy with my debut. I had a bit of trouble knowing where I stood. I did a bit last year, but I wasn’t overly prepared. This year, I’ve focused my preparation on being good at long distances, especially the classics. I finished 24th in the Bad Gastein prologue on 14 December. I was happy with that result, especially as compared to the big teams we were a bit behind in terms of glide. The next day, I fought hard [he finished 34th, editor’s note]. I know I still have a lot to work on. Particularly in the muscles, where I’m a bit tender. But I was still happy with my performance. I hope to improve with each race.
“My objective as a Jurassian is to ride La Transjurassienne.Simon Vuillet at Nordic Magazine
- What is your programme for the rest of the season?
Next week, I’ll be on La Diagonela, and then I’ll be on the Marcialonga. I still don’t know exactly what’s next. There are bound to be races in France. My objective as a Jurassian is to do La Transjurassienne. We’ll see how the rest of the season goes.
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