So, should we see a reservoir problem? “These are generational cycles,” replies Stéphane Bouthiaux, the manager of the French teams. Three years ago, it was the girls we were worried about. So it can turn around very quickly. Yes, it's more complicated for boys, but we still have a big tank. We have lots of young people in U19 or U17 at the races, so there is no reason why we cannot find, at some point, a good density among the boys. »
Habert: “There is a part of lottery”
Former member of the French team now consultant for EurosportLoïs Habert points out the limits of a discipline which has few licensees.
“Our sport is very media-rich, but remains anonymous in terms of the number of practitioners. VO2, lung capacity, muscular explosiveness, etc., it's all genetics! And our pyramid is perhaps not big enough to have extraordinary athletes in each generation, who emerge very quickly at the world level. »
Taking the female reservoir as a standard measure of density in boys is also an error.
“There is an element of lottery and typically, girls are in crazy years. It's incredible what's happening. They dominate at world level and in the IBU Cup, again this weekend. It's nice, but at the same time hard for them, because some of them won't ride all winter, even though they win in the IBU Cup. »
“Apart from exceptions, it takes time”
Émilien Claude won at the second level, beating Norwegians capable of shining in the World Cup if they had the chance. Five-time world champion among young people, he has the weapons to establish himself permanently on the circuit, but like Oscar Lombardot, “they lack regularity”, continues Stéphane Bouthiaux.
“They managed to run some good races, but their lack of consistency means they don't settle in, so it's hard to gain confidence and progress. I usually say that you get used to the environment in which you evolve and I think that to get the rhythm of the World Cup you have to stay there, but to stay there you have to have your place there. »
Yes, Martin Fourcade (at 20), Raphaël Poirée (at 21), Quentin Fillon Maillet (at 21) and more recently Éric Perrot (at 20) competed in their first full winter on the world circuit at a young age. But Lou Jeanmonnot, world No. 2 last winter, is proof that you can definitely put down your World Cup bags at the age of 24 (in 2022) and quickly become a big name.
“In this sport, the work brings out profiles that we had not noticed at the start, so we also have to give the athletes time,” recalls Loïs Habert. “We know that apart from exceptions, it takes a little time,” confirms Stéphane Bouthiaux.
France is indeed not Norway, with its young people who can go cross-country skiing all winter after leaving school or simply by taking line 1 of the Oslo metro towards Holmenkollen.
France
