Although she was scared at the start of the race, Perrine Clauzel still left Dijon with a smile last weekend, during the UCI cyclo-cross in the Cité des Ducs. “I didn't get a very good start, I found myself quite far behind. I fell into the small sandbox, it took time to get into the race. Once I was good, it was was ok, I was able to do my race”. This very average start was only a bad memory as the laps went by, and the Sebmotobikes rider then made the comeback. “You're always a little embarrassed by the girls in front who explode. It's not easy to find a place”. Until the end, she thought she was at the foot of the podium. “I was convinced I would be 4th the whole race, but at the end, at the post, I asked my friend if I was 3 or 4, he didn't know either then he shouted that I was 3rd (see ranking)“.
“IT WILL DEFINITELY BE MY LAST IF I GET THERE”
After such a comeback, since she was only at the bottom of the Top 10 in the first round, the race is rather positive, and the UCI points that go with it feel good. “I’m quite far behind in the rankings so I’m trying to take points”. It must be said that the first two rounds of the Coupe de France, in Nommay, did not really give him much to reassure. “I was hoping for a little better, I’m 14 and 12, I didn’t come for that”. But on the big day, his body did not follow his will. “I'm a teacher on the side, and the week of Nommay I worked three days instead of two, plus I worked on Friday so running on Saturday was complicated, I was tired”. This unfortunate weekend deprived her of the European Championship. “I would have liked to qualify. But I will do my best to do well in France and go to the World Cup”.
This World Championship in Liévin will not get out of his head during the winter. For the simple reason that this one could conclude a chapter. “It will certainly be my last if I get there. There's a bit of nostalgia too, because I realize everything I've done. When you're in the sequence of seasons, you don't necessarily see in the retro, but today I tell myself that I am getting closer to the end of the high level. I see that I have done a lot of things, there is also the nostalgia of doing a little less well than before. and continue to stay motivated”. For the moment, there is no question of thinking of a date to bow out. “I don’t know anything about it and I don’t think I really want to think about it.”laughs Perrine Clauzel.
“YOU ALWAYS WANT TO BE GOOD, BUT YOU SEE THAT IT WORKS LESS WELL”
Vice-Champion of France in Pontchâteau in 2021, at the end of a full season, the eldest of the Clauzel sisters knows that every year, the difficulty is there to stay at the level. “I'm aware of that, it's strange. You always want to be good, but you see that it doesn't work as well. I'm past my thirties, maybe that plays a role a little. When I see the start kids, I see the explosiveness that I also had before. I think I have to be proud of what I did and surf on that despite the nostalgia.. And this last act is therefore not written with AS Bike Racing, which she has worked with for a long time. “I had gone around after five years, I wanted something new. They have evolved a lot too. I wanted to do something else and be surrounded by other people”.
No more torturing your mind every weekend. “I'm in my last years so I want to have fun without any hassle and do what I want”. This summer, she returned to mountain biking after two years of trying the road. “I like mountain biking and cross country, it was a good experience on the road but it’s not at all what I like. I’m comfortable in my undergrowth”. And it is with her former team that she spends the summer season, Cube Sefix Oreia. But on a physical level, the landmarks are not easy to find. “I don’t carelaughs Perrine Clauzel. We feel that it is growing enormously. I will continue next year, without any worries.”. But in the meantime, it is in the Swiss Cup before the Coupe de France round in Troyes that she has the opportunity to return to the top of the rankings.
