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Editorial Courrier de l’Eure
Published on
Nov 20, 2024 at 6:46 a.m.
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It is in Brittany, on the covered velodrome of Loudéac, and its 200-meter wooden track, that the French Future Championships for the U15, U17 and U19.
A meeting that the Normandy selection – and more particularly the runners from UV Neubourg (Eure) – did not miss. Indeed, in the U17 category, Dorine Monnier and Tristan Desgrouas, expected to be the best chances for gold, exceeded the expectations of their leaders by winning four French champion titles (three for Dorine, one for Tristan), a silver medal (Tristan) and a bronze medal (Dorine).
“Our runners shone like never before. UV Neubourg has been crowned several times in the past. The last tricolor jersey dates back to 2017 with that of Clément Petit in Tempo Race, but we have never had such an outcome,” smiles the president of the UVN, Sylvain Desgrouas.
Tristan Desgrouas : argent et or
From the first day of competition, Tristan Desgrouas stood out in the individual pursuittimed event over 3 km, with a standing start of two opposing runners (one on each side of the track). The Neubourgeois started in the 7th series, and under the advice of his UVN coach, Sébastien Flicher, put in a huge performance with a time of 3’21″964.
Tristan had just improved by more than 3 seconds the French record established last year, in Roubaix, by Lénaïc Imbourg (3’25″205). But in the last series, Jean Groussin (Centre-Val de Loire) put an end to Tristan’s hopes of a title and record, beating him by only 0.0290 seconds. He established the new French record in 3’21″935, and Tristan retained the place of vice-champion of France.
After silver in the individual pursuit, Tristan raised the bar even higher the next day with, this time, the title of French Omnium champion (ranking in four events: scratch, tempo, eliminatory and points race). At the forefront throughout the day: 2nd in the scratch (race over 25 laps, 5 km), 4th in the Tempo race (the first in each lap scores 1 point), and 1st in the eliminatory, the Neubourgeois rider entered the points race in 2nd position, 2 points behind the leader, and 8 ahead of 3rd.
This last event (80 laps, a classification every 10 laps, 5pts, 3pts, 2pts and 1pt respectively to the first 4. 20 pts if we take a lap from the peloton) was going to be decisive: “Tristan took points on the first 5 sprints. He then controlled his opponents and made the effort to prevent Lancelot Gayant from taking a lap of the peloton in the last few hundred meters,” summarizes Sébastien Flicher.
Tristan Desgrouas won the tricolor jersey by finishing 1st (127 pts)ahead of the two track riders from Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Jorian Ravon (123 pts) and Lancelot Gayant (112 pts).
Dorine Monnier speed champion
At the same time, the U15/U17 F speed tournament saw Dorine Monnier, during qualifying, beat the French record for the 200 meters flying start in 11.952. “It is the first in its category to go under the 12-second mark,” says Sébastien Flicher. Afterwards, the Neubourgeoise won all her oppositionsas well as the final in two dry heats, to be crowned French speed champion.
500m and scratch
On Friday, in the 500 meters standing start (U15/U17 F), Dorine, who started in second position, set the bar very high with a time of 37”037 (5 hundredths of the French record). She had to wait for the last competitor to pass to savor her new title of champion of Francein front of the other Norman from VC Pont-Audemer, Hermine Gille (U15 1st year) “Hermine is now joining UV Neubourg”, informs president Sylvain Desgrouas.
The medal harvest was not over for the Neubourgeoise since the next day, on the scratch (13 laps and classification in the order of finish), after having been locked in the peloton for a long time, Dorine found the opening and came to win the sprint and her 3rd French champion title.
On Sunday, during the American events (a race contested with intermediate sprints and run by teams of two runners), Dorine Monnier closed this fantastic week by taking the bronze medal as a team with Romane Prioul.
Observed up close
This great harvest of titles and medals should allow Dorine Monnier and Tristan Desgrouas to hope for selection in the French track team in the future. “For Dorine, having one more year of U17, she has to wait until she is U19. Tristan has been a U19 first year since November 3. This is therefore part of its hopes and ambitions for 2025. Then, being both residents at the France center in Bourgesthey are closely observed,” assures Sylvain Desgrouas.
The other Neubourgeois in the race
Of the twelve runners in the Normandy selection supervised by Anthony Malenfant for these French piste de l’Avenir championships, six were from UV Neubourg: Dorine Monnier (U17 F), Hugo Lacroix, Tristan Desgrouas, Romain Gitton (U17 H ), Léo Legentil and Tom Vermeulen (U19 H).
Behind the two spearheads, Dorine Monnier and Tristan Desgrouas, the other Neubourgeois did not stand out in a high-level competition.
– U19 Individual Pursuit: Tom Vermeulen smashes his personal best and finishes 12th in 3’27”511. Thanks to a 7th place in qualifying, he moved to the final of the points race. Despite his big progress in 2024, he will not be able to finish the event.
– U19 Eliminator (20 starters, the last one is eliminated every 2 rounds): after brilliantly qualifying for the final, Léo Legentil misses his start and is unable to reposition himself, he finishes 17th.
– Scratch U17G: in a very tough series, Hugo Lacroix fails to qualify for the final.
In American events (points race in a team of 2 runners who pass the baton on the fly):
– U17G: Hugo Lacroix and Tristan Desgrouas take second place in their series and qualify for the final, where they miss the right move and finish 7th. For their part, Romain Gitton and Lucas Macé failed to qualify for the final.
– U19 G: Léo Legentil (UVN) and Gabin Beck (Pavilly Barentin) took 3rd place in their series and finished 7th in the final. Tom Vermeulen (UVN) and Paul Lebourgeois (UC Tilly Val de Seulles) failed to reach the final.
“Continue to support the next generation towards the top”
For Sylvain Desgrouas, president of UV Neubourg, these 2024 French track championships of the Future were a huge satisfaction for the entire Normandy committee – which finished 4th regional committee – and for the UV Neubourg supervisors .
“Especially since Normandy is one of the only committees not to have a covered velodrome,” recalls the president of the cycling club. And, with the Neubourg track unavailable since the beginning of June, big sacrifices, both financial and in terms of time for the runners and supervisors, had to be made. The Normandy committee organized two trips to Loudéac during the summer and UV Neubourg had to organize several trips (Loudéac in April, Poitiers, Le Mans, Roubaix, Bourges) to allow our young people to practice and reach the level necessary to shine. We can’t wait to see the work on the velodrome finished to resume the work undertaken for many years by Sébastien Flicher and Pascal Darche, and support the next generation towards the summits, in the best conditions! »
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