Honorable 8th Saturday for his return race, facing athletes who have been competing in the undergrowth for almost two months for some, Clément Venturini had warned: “you must not dream” (read here). But this Sunday, for his second competition of the weekend, in Troyes, the six-time French Champion has already passed a big milestone. On a course that is admittedly more favorable to his characteristics as a professional road runner, the 31-year-old athlete managed to climb onto the box (see ranking). Enough to lay (solid) foundations for a promising winter with a calendar that promises to be more extensive than in previous years.
“The circuit had changed, that’s good. I already felt more comfortable at the recce. Yesterday (Saturday) was a great start. It is through practice that we progress. Today I was better than yesterday”. Quite simply. “It was faster, I was a little more agile on my bike. When you can lean into the rut, you lose a little less time in the turns. It counts in the end”he analyzes hotly, without the slightest regret as to the fact of not having been able to make David Menut tremble in full swing. “It was a big pace, I was at the limit. David, I couldn't count the number of cyclo-cross races he's already had. There aren’t two like me, in any case…. He fully deserves the victory. He’s a person I really like, I’m happy for him”.
“IT’S ALSO FOR THE TEAM”
Of course, this first podium is “a good omen for the future” and the lights are green. But there's no question of getting excited. An additional march awaits him, very quickly, on the other side of the Channel, in Dublin, for his first international meeting, in the World Cup. “I will have no expectations. You must not be more royalist than the king”. Clément Venturini has time. His biggest goals are still far away: the World Cup round in Besançon, the French Championship, and the World Cup in Liévin. “You could almost believe that I am putting the cart before the horse by going to Dublin, but it is to progress more quickly”.
This Aube podium, the blue-white-red jersey, also sees it as a first (small) reward for its Breton WorldTeam, Arkéa-B&B Hôtels. “Beyond personal satisfaction, it’s also for the team. They go to great lengths to provide us with staff here: mechanics, assistants. It’s a first return on investment but I hope to offer them much more, a little later in the season”. Because this year, Clément Venturini will do more than in previous seasons. “The team is pulling out all the stops. Arkéa-B&B Hotels is doing things well this winter. I'm on a great schedule. Since 2017, I have never had such a comprehensive program”. The World Cup in France, in Liévin, is bound to make you salivate. “That’s also why we do it. But the French Championship remains the main objective”.
France
Cycling
