Eliminated in the first round in team speed, the French sprint experienced new disillusionment at the Track Cycling Worlds on Wednesday in Ballerup, Denmark, where the athletes asked to “change everything”.
“Our system worked for a very long time. Today, we are overwhelmed »said Sébastien Vigier, pillar of the Blues, in the face of the decline of France, former flagship nation of sprinting, in the world hierarchy.
“We have regressed enormously. We went from an Olympic medal (bronze) and a vice-world champion title in 2021 to struggling to have medals and, this year, to not having a medal at all”added the former individual European champion after the defeat in the first round against a Great Britain B team on Wednesday in the great suburbs of Copenhagen.
France in the shadow of the Netherlands and Australia
Already this summer at the Paris Olympics, the blue collective, despite enormous ambitions, had foundered, failing for the first time in seven Olympics to win a medal in team sprint, which had long been its preserve, before drowning also in individual events.
At Ballerup, France appeared light years ahead of nations like Australia or the Netherlands who defended their title, allowing Harrie Lavreysen to win his 14th world title to equal the record of Frenchman Arnaud Tournant, quite a symbol.
Lavreysen will have the opportunity to take the record alone on Thursday while Vigier and Rayan Helal were not even registered in individual speed and keirin. Only Melvin Landerneau, who took over from Florian Grengbo, will extend his stay to compete in the non-Olympic kilometer event.
“It’s not going well”
“Given the level we have, we cannot play the leading roles”underlined coach Grégory Baugé, who appeared dejected after Wednesday’s failure with a team that was certainly “unpublished” but who still came to “play a podium”according to Landerneau.
“For them as for us, the failure of this summer was not easyadded Baugé. There are things that need to be addressed in depth. We will take the time after the World Championship. »
The riders are demanding change more and more loudly, starting with Vigier who says he “mentally tired because things are not going well”.
“I think we need to change everything. The results are not there. You have to start from a blank sheet. The French system has worked like this since the 2000s. I think that everything needs to be reviewed”added Vigier, who points to both a system and a personal problem.
“Maybe we’re not the most talented in the world. But when you look at the young results of Mathilde (Gros), of me, of Ryan, of Melvin, today, we are no better than what we were when we were 20, 21 years old”he insisted.
READ ALSO. 2024 Olympic Games – Track cycling. “We are in our place”: the disappointment of Sébastien Vigier, eliminated
Melvin Landerneau also felt that France was “arrival at the end of a cycle and a system that does not work”. But he also noted that the federal elections on December 14 represent a moment ” delicate » and that “those who make decisions are necessarily busy with something else”. “It’s understandable,” he continued. But we, athletes, see our years passing by very quickly. »
