The 26 -year -old Vosges became the first Frenchwoman to win during a world circuit race on Sunday, January 8, at the top of the Alpe Certis, in Val di Fiemme, in Italy.
MO12345LEMONDE With AFP
This is an unprecedented success in a discipline that is not very publicized. Delphine Claudel signed a first for France in cross -country skiing by winning, Sunday January 8, in the 10 kilometers of the Val Di Fiemme World Cup, in Italy.
The 26 -year -old Vosges, won at the top of the formidable climb of Alpe Certis, where the slopes sometimes approach 30 %, 20 seconds ahead of the Norwegian Heidi Weng and 35 seconds on The American Sophia Laukli. “In my head, it was quite planned, explained Delphine Claudel on the team after her victory. I knew I was really strong in the last eight hundred meters. (…) I said to myself:” C ‘is today, do not be afraid to go “.”
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In 2021 and 2022, Delphine Claudel had already taken third place in this event, the last of the ski tour, a prestigious competition in seven stages disputed in Switzerland, Germany and Italy, and integrated into the World Cup. “This is a step that everyone knows and looks because she is atypical,” continues the Frenchwoman. She closes the ski tour, which is a fairly tiring accumulation of races. I am very happy to have confirmed [here ] After my two podiums from the last two seasons, to have climbed these steps and to be on the first today. “
Strengthened by this first victory on the World Cup circuit, the Frenchwoman now looks at the rest of the season, and in particular the World Championships in Planica, Slovenia, from February 28 to March 4, with appetite. “Now, I have the ambition to be on the podium on competitions other than this, says Delphine Claudel. I managed to do a good job today, so I think other days will be Good too. “
Delphine Claudel has been playing on the World Cup circuit since 2016. She has taken 81 events since the start and participated in the last two editions of the Winter Olympic Games, in 2018 in Sochi (Russi) and in 2022 in Beijing, where she finished twice among the first ten.