Para Nordic skiing: the Blues (too) on the snow in Bessans
For the past few days, not only the French cross-country skiing and biathlon teams and several regional committees have been training on the snowfarm in Bessans (Savoie). The French disabled team is also training here until Friday.
For their final get-together before the start of international competitions in Canmore (Canada) at the end of November, Les Bleus are in full force at Haute Maurienne Vanoise. Under the guidance of Vincent Duchêne andAnaïs Bescond, the “A” group, comprising Benjamin Daviet, Anthony Chalençon, his guide Florian Michelon and Karl Tabouret , will be there first.
The development team coached by Julie Pepin is also in the running, with Alexis Sanchez, Maxime Gayet, his guide Alexis Bernard, Anaïs Delavier, Cléo Blanc, Chloé Pinto and the deaf Antoine Collomb-Patton and Lucas Mandel.
Everyone is training in ideal conditions. ” It’s super stable with cold and good weather,” Vincent Duchêne tells Nordic Magazine.
As for the programme, it’s mainly made up of intensities. “We’re doing quite a lot of biathlon to start getting our bearings. In particular, we’ll have a time trial on Thursday,” explains the Isère coach. For Karl [Tabouret], on the other hand, we’ve been doing quite a lot of classical sprinting to prepare for the winter and his Paralympic Games objective. In short, we’re making the final adjustments on snow!
Benjamin Daviet no longer in pain, a second guide for Anthony Chalençon
Absent from the Loop One Festival in Munich (Germany) in October because of a recurrence of shoulder tendonitis, Benjamin Daviet has now recovered. ” We went from strength to strength and now he no longer feels any pain,” enthuses Vincent Duchêne.
Last but not least, Victor Dieuzy will be on hand to guide Anthony Chalençon.
The idea is that we want to have a replacement guide this winter if there’s ever a big problem with Florian [Michelon],” explains the French coach. He’s there so they can get their bearings together. Another advantage is that he’s with Robin [Mahillon] to test the equipment when he’s not guiding. In fact, we’re planning to ask him to have two guides at the Games!
The complete 2025/2026 Nordic para-ski world cup calendar
Canmore 🇨🇦
- Thursday 4 December – Para cross-country skiing : individual 10 km CT
- Saturday 6 December – Para cross-country skiing : FT sprint
- Sunday 7 December – Para cross-country skiing : mass-start 10 km CT
- Thursday 11 December – Para biathlon : 7.5 km sprint
- Saturday 13 December – Para biathlon : sprint pursuit
- Sunday 14 December – Para biathlon : individual 12.5 km
Notschrei 🇩🇪
- Thursday 8 January – Para biathlon : 7.5 km sprint
- Saturday 10 January – Para biathlon : sprint pursuit
- Sunday 11 January – Para biathlon : individual 12.5 km
Finestrau 🇩🇪
- Wednesday 14 January – Para cross-country skiing : individual 10 km FT
- Thursday 15 January – Para cross-country skiing : mass-start 10 km FT
- Saturday 17 January – Para cross-country skiing : CT sprint
- Sunday 18 January – Para cross-country skiing : open 4×2.5 km CT/FT relay and mixed 4×2.5 km CT/FT relay
Jakuszyce 🇵🇱
- Thursday 22 January – Para biathlon : 7.5 km sprint
- Saturday 24 January – Para biathlon : sprint pursuit
- Sunday 25 January – Para biathlon : individual 12.5 km
- Wednesday 28 January – Para cross-country skiing : sprint FT
- Thursday 29 January – Para cross-country skiing : individual 10 km FT
- Saturday 31 January – Para cross-country skiing : individual 10 km CT
- Sunday 1 February – Para cross-country skiing : mass-start 10 km CT
The full programme for Nordic para-skiing at the Milan/Cortina 2026 Paralympic Games
Saturday 7 March
- 10.00 – Para biathlon: individual 12.5 km seated men and women
- 12.30pm – Para biathlon: individual 12.5 km standing and visually impaired men and women
Sunday 8 March
- 10.00 – Para biathlon: men’s and women’s 7.5 km seated sprints
- 12.00 – Para biathlon: 7.5 km standing sprints and visually impaired men and women
Tuesday 10 March
- 10.00 – Para cross-country skiing: men’s and women’s sitting, standing and visually impaired CT sprint qualifiers
- 12.30pm – Para cross-country skiing: men’s and women’s CT sprint finals sitting, standing and visually impaired
Wednesday 11th March
- 9.00 – Para cross-country skiing: individual 20 km FT seated men and women
- 11:20 – Para cross-country skiing: individual 20 km FT standing and visually impaired men
- 1.45pm – Para cross-country skiing: individual 20km FT standing and visually impaired women
Friday 13 March
- 10.00 – Para biathlon: men’s and women’s sprint pursuit qualifications sitting, standing and visually impaired
- 12.30pm – Para biathlon: men’s and women’s sitting, standing and visually impaired sprint pursuit finals
Saturday 14th March
- 11.00 – Para cross-country skiing: 4×2.5 km mixed relay
- 12.45 – Para cross-country skiing: 4×2.5 km open relay
Sunday 15 March
- 9.45am – Para cross-country skiing: individual 10 km CT standing and visually impaired men and women
- 12.45 – Para cross-country skiing: individual 10 km CT seated men and women
- The Milan/Cortina 2026 Paralympic Games programme
- The anger of Karl Tabouret, who won’t be able to take part in the opening ceremony of the Milan/Cortina 2026 Paralympic Games: “It was supposed to be grandiose, but it’s not anymore”.
- Milan/Cortina 2026 Paralympic Games: the French flag-bearers… will not be marching in the opening ceremony
- Milan/Cortina 2026 Paralympic Games: France Télévisions official and exclusive free-to-air broadcaster of the competition
- “Promoting better application of the laws on equal access to sport”: Cléo Blanc tells Nordic Magazine why she has become a member of the CPSF’s para-athlete commission
- In the end, Anthony Chalençon will continue his career after the Milan/Cortina 2026 Paralympic Games: “Ending the year a little calmer”.
- The full programme for the 2025/2026 Para Biathlon and Para Cross-Country Skiing World Cup
- The selection of French teams for the 2025/2026 season
