Cross-country skiing: the Vincent Vittoz Challenge concludes the course
The French women’s cross-country skiing team continues to build momentum in the run-up to the Olympic season. After a summer marked by three initial training camps, the French women’s team will be back in action between 20 and 31 August with a new gathering in Prémanon (Jura). A training camp to fine-tune individual preparation and compete against each other, culminating in the traditional Challenge National Vincent Vittoz.
“Everything is going well. We wanted to make the training periods a bit shorter to go after specific objectives. That’s what we did at La Féclaz, with a week of work punctuated by a sprint and an individual. The girls were in a good fatigue zone, but they were able to give it their all in the time trials. We saw some great things with Vincent [Vittoz, editor’s note],” Alexandre Pouyé, coach of the women’s cross-country skiing team, told Nordic Magazine.
At Prémanon (Jura), Les Bleues have all the facilities they need to raise their game. “We’re going to make good use of the weight room, the roller-ski mat and the Tuffes piste. The idea is to continue to build up core work and volume, which is essential at this time of year, while developing intensity on an individual basis.
This course isn’t just about physical work: it’s also about simulating competition and testing tactical choices. “At the end of the course, we’ll switch to a moment of confrontation, with two races at the Challenge Vittoz. This will be an opportunity to work on race management and direct confrontation, which is invaluable in our preparation.
This unprecedented pre-season, with the unification of groups A and B, means we can work with fourteen athletes and a high density. “This year, we’ve chosen to have a large, very dense group, and to work as much as possible in emulation and cohesion mode. Sometimes we use the mass to create confrontation and work on a dense format. That’s what we did at La Féclaz, and the idea is the same here,” points out Alexandre Pouyé.
The good news is that the entire French squad will be at Prémanon (Jura). We’ll be with all 14 girls on this course,” explains Alexandre Pouyé. Mélissa Gal is making her gradual return from concussion, validated step by step with the doctor. Juliette Ducordeau is training at 100% again after her hand injury, and Delphine Claudel is doing very well, with no pain and the possibility of raising the sliders as planned.
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