In Hulst, Clément Venturini did not have the sensations of the day before during the reconnaissance, on the occasion of the Cyclo-cross World Cup. “It was a bit of a second start with the two-week break and a good training session with the team. Yesterday, on the bike I was rather comfortable, I was happy to have these sensations after having had a lot rode on the road. But today it was different music.”. The Arkéa-B&B Hôtels runner finished quite far from his standards, just in the Top 30 (see ranking). “I’m in my place, I just couldn’t do it, but it will help me progress”.
After leaving “quite complicated, where you could immediately be in traffic but that's the law of cyclo-cross”Clément Venturini had difficulty finding his bearings, particularly on the descent from Hulst which frightened more than one during the day of events. “I already scared myself on the descent at the recce, there I fell during the race, I was on the brakes. I know very well that after a little practice it's complicated when you find yourself in these conditions -there”. Then, Clément Venturini suffered. “Above all, you had to be very good at driving, and you had to climb the hill on foot, which is not my strong point. There were no big parts where we could send. There were straight away some parts with ruts and where you have to be flexible, cyclo-cross what”he smiles.
“IT WOULD HAVE GOT ME BACK IN THE BATH”
Fortunately, there are still positive signals for the multiple French Champion in the discipline. “I could see that when it was necessary to press it was quite correct, so when there is physical driving it should go quite well”. This Sunday, he will have the opportunity to do better at Zonhoven, even if the course does not really suit him. “The whole course is in the sand, it's a bit like before a big mountain stage, I know I'm not going to do anything but it makes me happy to do it, I just hope to be comfortable and I I think today will have put me back in the swing of things.”.
From now on, winter in the undergrowth will be in full swing for him. “From now on it will only be World Cup rounds with the Championship in between, we will say that now it's gone. Then it will be the icing on the cake to finish at home, in the best possible way”. Liévin brings back some memories to Clément Venturini. “Liévin can be a very smooth course like during France where I finished 7th in Junior (in 2010, Editor’s note)and 4th in a World Cup in Espoir 1 in 2012. It can be a real quagmire, but the organizers make sure that it's not just running all the way.”. By then, Clément Venturini will have had time to find his best sensations.
