Cross-country skiing: Jules Lapierre among the leaders of the French squad in Trondheim
In 2019, on the slopes of Seefeld (Austria), Jules Lapierre took part in his first senior cross-country skiing world championships. This was followed by two more editions in Oberstdorf (Germany) in 2021 and Planica (Slovenia) in 2023, where the Chartrous native got a bronze medal in the men’s relay in Germany.
This week, at the age of 29, the Frenchman is preparing to take the start of his fourth World Championships in Trondheim (Norway). But this time, his preparation has not been optimal. “I didn’t do Cogne because I had flu, which really shook me up. I had a bit of trouble getting back to my level afterwards, he tells Nordic Magazine. I’ve been training to prepare for the 50km. I’m not bothered any more. It was complicated in Falun because it was my first race after the illness. I wanted to get back on track intelligently.”
This is yet another setback in a season in which the Frenchman has not been spared by illness. Indeed, he was forced to put the arrow in the Tour de Ski last January. But it has to be said that he’s not one to give up in the face of the slightest difficulty: “My preparation wasn’t optimal and that takes time to come back. You have to adapt, because if I grumble and don’t believe in it, I’m not going to get through it”, he asserts.
And Jules Lapierre has been looking forward to Norway over the last few days. During the ten days of events, the native of Isère will be lining up at the start of both the skiathlon and the 50-kilometre race. “In the skiathlon, I’d like to be in the top 5. That wouldn’t be bad. And the same goes for the 50km,” he says.
“I’m looking forward to my first World Championships in Scandinavia”Jules Lapierre at Nordic Magazine
“I think it’s going to be a great World Championships in terms of the crowds and even in terms of the stadium and the track. There’s a beautiful track with a nice gradient. It’s a great infrastructure and in Norway it’s the national sport, he adds. While there are fewer spectators at the World Cups, people rarely miss such an important event here. I’m really looking forward to my first World Championships in Scandinavia.”
And as the legend of the French team has often been based on the relays of this global event, Jules Lapierre knows that this competition will inevitably have a special place after the disappointment of 2023.
“In Planica, we had the balls to finish fourth. I think we have an even stronger team and we can do some great things. We could even do better than the bronze medal that the French team used to bring back, he says. Of course, that’s very close to my heart. I’d love to take part, but if I don’t have the level, that’s just the way it is. I’m not at all frustrated by that. You have to have the best possible relay.”
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