Cross-country skiing: Victor Lovera ready to break new ground this summer
Just over a year ago, Victor Lovera saw the doors of the French cross-country skiing team close on him after a winter that fell short of expectations. Since then, the Team Vercors Isère resident has been back in the spotlight, gaining strength as the winter progressed. In the top 10 on two occasions on the World Cup last season, the Chartrousin skier went on to put in one good performance after another.
After his first selection for the world championships in Trondheim (Norway), the 24-year-old cross-country skier finished 21st in the legendary 50km race. These top-class performances earned him a return to the federal squad this spring. From now on, the winner of the 40km Transju’ will be preparing for the summer in group A.
“I’m very happy with this selection. It wasn’t necessarily an obvious choice for me because I’ve already been in the French team and it didn’t always work out, he tells Nordic Magazine. There was a moment of reflection during the winter when I asked myself if it was the right choice.”
“It makes you want to make them proud and train to win medals with them”Victor Lovera at Nordic Magazine
“Finally, something clicked in Lahti. Over there, I felt the cohesion of the group and that really made me want to experience things and emotions with the group, whether it was my mates, the staff or the technicians, he continues. It’s a really great group and it makes you want to make them proud and train to win medals with them. So it was an obvious choice in the spring. I’m very proud to be part of the French senior team because, first of all, there’s a really great training group with experienced athletes who perform at a high level, and then there are also some friends I’ve known for a long time.”
For the 2025/2026 season, Victor Lovera will be working alongside Thibaut Chêne, coach of the men’s A team, as he looks to continue his solid rise. “I feel that my relationship with Thibaut is also going very well. He’s a good listener and he understands my project. It was something that was important to me, admits the Isérois native. As I’ve already said, it hasn’t always worked for me in the French team, and this year I’m trying to go in with a new approach after all the years of experience I’ve had, but also all the failures that have helped me grow.”
Another “ambitious” training programme
And even though he is happy to be back in the Tricolore squad, the young man is determined not to lose his focus: “I’m trying to stay on course and do what I think is best for me. I try to believe in myself, enjoy myself and be confident. I think that’s really the most important thing. I can’t wait to start training with the guys. As usual, it’s going to be an ambitious training programme, with a lot of volume, a lot of intensity and some really good training sessions,” he says.
“We’re starting with three weeks in Tignes, which means a fair amount of hypoxia. We’ll then go to Font-Romeu and follow that up with races in Norway. There are going to be some great moments with the group. And I’m already looking forward to next winter and getting started on the World Cup, he says. It will still be new for me. I also want to succeed in breaking new ground on the World Cup by going for my first top 5, or even my first podium. I’ll have to be as consistent as possible, whether in skateboarding or in classic.”
“The goal is clearly the Olympic Games”.Victor Lovera at Nordic Magazine
But 2026 also means an Olympic season. Next February, on the slopes of Val di Fiemme (Italy), Victor Lovera will be looking to shine in one of the biggest international events in the career of a top-level athlete. “Our objective is clearly the Olympic Games. Obviously, the individual skate at the Games in Italy will be the big target, because that’s my favourite format. I’m determined to do well there, he says. After that, I’ll also be aiming for other races, whether it’s the skiathlon, the 50km classic or even the men’s relay. All that will be possible if the staff decide to select me to take part.”
Ambitious and determined, the student from INP – Ensimag in Grenoble (Isère) is now looking forward to resuming training. “There are still a lot of things to work on and refine. I want to become more versatile, work on my technical shortcomings and become more economical, he says. The future looks bright and I’m looking forward to changing dimensions, but also to turning a corner. I hope I’ll be able to do that during my preparation, while keeping my project, my motivation and my pleasure.”
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