Not yet 100%, the ski mountaineer from Bonneval-sur-Arc was able to climb onto the podium in the Courchevel sprint, building his success on the portage and some furious passages on the steps. Promising for the rest of its winter.
It was far from won. And yet, Thibault Anselmet assured. In front, the Catalan Oriol Cardona Coll, a great sprint specialist, was able to slip through and chain the laps to triumph in front of the Grison Arno Lietha (SUI), still there. The Haut-Mauriennais secured the last available folding seat, not without difficulty. “The podium was far from assured but Jon Kistler (SUI) got a little wide at the start of the descent and I rushed in to seize this opportunity and finish third”, underlined Anselmet, 27 years old, double holder of the big globe crystal.
Expected at the turning point, the member of the Bonneval-sur-Arc club based in Sainte-Foy/Tarentaise, who wants to arrive in shape later in the winter (the World Championships take place from March 2 to 8 in Morgins, at the French-Swiss border), has fought hard to remain the French number 1 in Courchevel.
“In my head, I’m ready to go to the Games”
And regarding the race to qualify for the 2026 Olympic Games, officially launched this Saturday, he said without any boasting: “We talk about it a lot but I don’t put pressure on myself with that. In my head, I’m ready to go to the Olympics and medal. If I start asking questions, it would be an admission of weakness. We’ll see, because we’ll have to be good all winter.”
With the integration, in the Verticale Race this Sunday (from 12 p.m.), of Gédéon Pochat, Xavier Gachet, the recent French champion from Isère in the discipline Samuel Equy and the indestructible William Bon Mardion, the show indeed promises . Will Anselmet be at the party? Less obvious, because VR is not its specialty but you never know.
Swiss
Related News :