He fought to the line. Aaron Thong fought hard to score the two points in the final sprint of qualifying for the final points race. He is missing one to take part in the race for the title of French Cadet Champion. The behavior of the member of VC Wittenheim mirrors that of his comrades from the Grand Est selection present in Loudéac, at the beginning of November, at the French Future Championship. They defended their chances until the end and, after all, that's all the rules ask of them. “We don't ask them for results, we ask them to do what they can. They are voluntary, active, they try to make people talk about them. The Juniors want to do too well and put pressure on themselves“, explains Jean-Loup Schneider from the regional track commission. The runners made do with their means, physical and mechanical too. The difference in equipment was glaring in pursuit for example.
To reach Brittany, the small troop from the Grand Est crossed a velodrome desert between Lorraine and Paris. The Reims track, biscuit pink in color, has been in pieces for a long time. That of Lunéville is no longer used. The velodromes of Commercy, Colmar and Strasbourg remain in operation. “EC Colmar organizes the Colmar Grand Prix over three evenings. For two years, a club agreement in Strasbourg has organized the Strasbourg Grand Prix over four evenings in June. There are group training sessions on Tuesday evenings“, specifies Jean-Loup Schneider. There are also two Track Training Teams, in Haut-Rhin and Bas-Rhin. “It is the will of the committees“, he adds.
“THEY SAY IT’S SCARY”
There is therefore no covered track. “It's our handicap“, recognizes the supervisor. Philippe Ehlinger, the mechanic, imagines a solution. “We could perhaps have a joint project with Burgundy-Franche-Comté to pool costs“. The FFC also met with the city of Besançon for a covered velodrome project. Zoé Raimbault is well placed to measure the effects of the absence of a covered velodrome. Before being licensed in the Grand Est thanks to her membership at Team Ardennes Féminin, she started in the Centre-Val de Loire.I was at AC Bas-Berry, I've been doing track since I was Minimes. I was used to doing winters on the track in Bourges and not in cyclo-cross“. The riders adapt to the situation and cyclo-cross is also part of the tradition of the Grand Est departments.
Victor Schneider won the Grand Prix of Colmar and Strasbourg. The Junior feels that runners of his age have difficulty trying the track. “As we don't have the infrastructure, we can't try it. They say that “it’s scary” because they don't have the opportunity to try. We don't develop because of that, we have to be the smallest committee. I had an American teammate but he stopped the track“. Zoé Raimbault adds “what makes the difference is a tool that is used all year round“This lack is felt in training.”I did specific road riding. This year, I also went for specific sessions on the Strasbourg track“, recounts Victor Schneider.
LAST COMPETITION ON SEPTEMBER 5
Zoé Raimbault clearly sees that the committee is doing what it can for its runners. “The Grand Est manages to be at the level in terms of management“In addition to the mechanic, the assistant Nathalie Grégoire plays her role of moral support.”This is a request from the runners. Wednesday after the first difficult day, it allowed them to talk during the massageexplains Jean-Loup Schneider. We try to put them in the best conditions, to give them tactical advice, there is the briefing in the evening. Wednesday, the Juniors went through for different reasons, we talked to see what went wrong“During the season, the committee made the effort to take a selection to the Coupe de France Juniors in Poitiers.”The problem is forcing the committees to participate (to be able to participate in the French Championship, Editor’s note)even those who don't have a lead. To Poitiers, we only sent Junior Men but Zoé Raimbault was ill“. The FFC also drafted the Grand Est committee which had shown good will.
The Grand Est committee has chosen to take Cadets 1 to Loudéac.to teach them, emphasizes Jean-Loup Schneider. The Cadets were at the final of the Coupe de France des Départements in Bonnac-la-Côte but we were in the last. It was September 5th and it was their last competition. We tried to participate in regional championships of other committees, without being classified, but it did not happen. To take runners to competitions in France or abroad is not easy. We are volunteers, we work. We compensated with cyclo-cross“.
“IF WE INVEST, WE WILL SAVE SECONDS”
The lack of familiarity with velodromes is hidden in all the details. “I'm more used to warming up, a habit that the Cadets don't necessarily have yet.“, notes Zoé Raimbault. For his part, Victor Schneider had not raced on the track since this summer, it was in Roubaix. He feels that he is paying for it in the Loudéac woods. “I'm missing automation. I jump to the elimination qualifier (a scratch, Editor’s note). We don't use the same gears as on a cement track“On the other hand, he managed to get to the right side of the cut of qualifying for the Open.
In a discipline where aerodynamics are king, equipment plays a key role. And on this side too, the Grand Est is not the best served. “The committee has three pairs of wheels and each runner brings their bike“, specifies Jean-Loup Schneider. This is how the riders participated in the pursuit with classic frames, racing handlebars, a lenticular wheel at the rear, with spokes at the front, facing competitors with their arms on the extensions on a profiled frame “.We know that if we invest, we will save seconds“The young shoots from the East therefore still have room for improvement and Philippe Ehlinger, the mechanic, sums up the vocation of the management volunteers.”Our pleasure is to help a young person progress and later find their name in the newspaper“.
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