Rugby, tennis, football but above all cycling … The sport weekend was particularly dense on Saturday April 12 and Sunday April 13, mainly in France. While the Kenyan Benard Biwott and the Ethiopian Bedatu Hirpa won the 2025 edition of the Paris Marathon, the French Jimmy Gressier and Yann Schrub were crowned European semi-marathon champions and 10 kilometers. But the incontestable highlight was obviously the historic victory of Pauline Ferrand-Prévôt on the cobblestones of Paris-Roubaix, ending a French scarcity of twenty-eight on the legendary Vélodrome.
Ferrand-Prévôt and van der Poel, sovereigns of the north
A first Marseillaise Upon arrival of northern hell since that of Frédéric Guesdon in 1997. Tricolor cycling experienced one of the most beautiful pages in its history on Saturday with the solo victory of Pauline Ferrand-Prévôt for his first participation on the paved monument. At 33, the Frenchwoman with 15 world champion titles signed her first success since her return on the road by attacking before the paved sector of Camphin-en-Pévèle, 25 kilometers from the finish, when we thought that she was acting in the interest of her leader Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike).
Among men, Tadej Pogacar could not reproduce the feat of the Champenoise. At the start of northern hell for the first time in his career, the Slovenian world champion seemed armed to play the win. But he went to the fault 39 kilometers from the finish, while his duel with Mathieu Van der Poel was in full swing. A fatal road trip to Tadej Pogacar, which could only let the Dutch spin. Double title holder, Mathieu van der Poel signed a historic triplet on Paris-Roubaix.
Tennis: Carlos Alcaraz, Prince de Monaco
Twenty years after the first title of Rafael Nadal on the rock, his compatriot Carlos Alcaraz knew, Sunday, his first coronation at the Masters 1000 in Monte-Carlo Sunday, after a final which turned short. If she made the Spanish tremble too rough to pocket the first set, the Italian surprise Lorenzo Musetti (16th in the world) made arms (3-6, 6-1, 6-0), touched in the right thigh despite the marked support of her Fans.
Thanks to this 18th tournament won, the sixth in this prestigious category, Carlos Alcaraz succeeds the charts at the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas and confirms the good sensations observed during this Monegasque week. He also makes sure to take over the world’s number 2 place. He can legitimately hope to defend his title to Roland Garros in six weeks.
Ligue 1: Monaco, new psg runner -up
PSG exempt from the championship to prepare its quarter -final return of the Champions League against Aston Villa? What does it matter, since the show was there in the European qualification race in Ligue 1. On Saturday, Monaco struck a blow by beating Marseille 3-0 at home to take back second place. A Marseille setback that Strasbourg did not take advantage of, who could have seized third place, but which was held in check by Nice (2-2).
In the fight for the maintenance, Reims gave himself air thanks to a heist against Lens (2-0). The Champenois date back to 15th place (29 points), at a point in Angers and Nantes (which has one match less, against PSG). Above all, the Rémois resume their distance from Saint-Etienne (17th, 24 points) held in check by Brest (3-3) and Le Havre (16th, 27 points), swept away by Rennes (1-5).
Six nations: The Blue pursues their flawless
And three for the XV of France. Faced with a team from Wales largely within their reach, the French held their rank on Saturday in Brive-la-Gaillarde (42-12). Émilie Boulard scored the first two of the six three tricolor trials to launch his and continue the right series after the victories against Ireland and Scotland.
Thanks to this improved success, which still put a period of emerging, they can continue to target the trophy before their trips in Italy and England by the end of the month. For their part, the Red Roses experienced the same delay in ignition in Ireland, before going on the return from the locker room (49-5). The Ecossaises were surprised by the Italians, who won 25 to 17.
Champions Cup: UBB and Toulouse at the semi-finals
There will be a French club in the final of the Champions Cup in Cardiff on May 24. The Bordeaux-Bègles Union and the Toulouse stadium will be opposed in the semi-finals after their respective successes against the Irish Munster (47-29) and against Toulon (21-18). Thanks to an excellent first period marked by the record for the number of tests in an edition of the competition established by Damian Penaud (12), the Girondins offered themselves the right to relax at the end of the game. Without consequence, despite a red card addressed to Cyril Cazeaux.
For the Toulouse stadium, the qualification was longer to take shape. It was not until a final penalty in the corner of Thomas Ramos after the mermaid, to release the red and black. A successful kick and synonymous with qualification for the last square, for the supporters of the Toulouse title, which were jostled by the RCT. They will move to Bordeaux on May 3 for a place in the final. The other poster of the last square will oppose the Leinster to Northampton, fall of Castres on Saturday (51-16).
