Nearly two months after his success at the Boucles de la Charente-Maritime (read here), Victor Papon found his way to victory this Tuesday evening at the Critérium Nocturne de Dole (see ranking). “I had fun, it went well, there were people there. It’s a good thing, it allowed me to run quite relaxed like I did a while ago.”confided to the microphone of DirectVelo the member of Paris Cycliste Olympique who decided that very morning to come to the Jura sub-prefecture. “I forgot my cycling shoes and my helmet in Paris when I returned to Langres on Monday. The next morning, my friend Alexandre Delassaux, who has a bike shop near my house, lent me the equipment. It was the condition for me to come here. He actually took me with Aurélien Philibert.”.
From the first rotations of the Nocturne de Dole, the 23-year-old athlete smelled the right move with Lorenzo Marasco (Team N’side), Rémi Mermet (AC Bisontine), Bohémond Barrillot (SCO Dijon) and Louis Jeanney (VC Dolois ). “When I saw that it came out at first, I was like: “It’s not going to come out without me” (smile). I waited for it to start after 8 km to then make the jump. There were barely ten seconds to fill, it took me half a turn to get back. We worked very well together after that“The quintet even lapped the peloton on the 1.2-kilometre circuit before battling for victory. “It only started to attack with 8 laps to go, but it was still going pretty well. In the last turn at 500 meters, I moved into 2nd position in the wheel of Lorenzo Marasco who was the one going the fastest in the curves. I knew it could give me some momentum behind. I did a sprint and on the slipstream, I overtook him before the line. In sprints in small groups, I normally do pretty well, I confirmed.”
“RECOVER MY LEADER PLACE AT THE N1 FRANCE CUP”
This success brings relief to the hearts of Haut-Marnais after a complicated weekend at the French Championship in Saint-Martin-de-Landelles and the Coupe de France N1, at the Caux Tour. “I passed completely through in France. I certainly finished 18th, but I didn’t come for this place. In the Coupe de France, I had mechanical problems and I fell. 15 kilometers from the finish, there was a big fall with guys from Bourg-en-Bresse falling on a small road. Everyone in front passed, while behind we remained stuck. The first three escaped there and we never came back. It was a blow to my head, especially since I lost my place as leader in the individual general with the profile of Florentin Lecamus-Lambert. (see ranking). But I am more of an optimistic nature, I look ahead, that’s how we have to move forward.”.
Victor Papon, who has just completed a master’s degree at the Dijon business school and is doing a work-study program at Debya until October, intends to regain his pole position at the Coupe de France N1 at the end of the final act , at the end of September, during the Puisaye-Forterre Classic. “This Sunday, I will be racing at the Boucles de l’Austreberthe before taking a five-day break and then resuming at the Tour des Deux-Sèvres where I will return the favor for my friends. In July, I will do a big block of preparation to be ready in September for the last round which will be my main objective in order to regain my place as leader. It is not very far from home, I will go and scout out the roads. During this month of September, I am also thinking about the Tour de Côte d’Or“. Good performances could cement his touches with the professional world. “I have already had contacts. My agent Joona Laukka is taking care of me for next year, I don’t have to worry about it. It’s up to me to walk, to prove that I have the level and it will happen by itself.”concludes the winner of the Gainsbarre.
