Tokyo's failure is already behind them. In Switzerland, on the other land of mountain biking, the French team regained the honors at the start of the season thanks to the brilliant Loana Lecomte. "Only" fourth in the race on Sunday, Loana Lecomte was awarded the general of the World Cup even before the last event in two weeks in the United States. Undisputed leader of the World Cup after her four successes in as many events, the hopeful world champion has mathematically secured her title. At only 22 years old, the Savoyarde succeeds Julie Bresset, who won the general ten years ago.
“
The class
”, reacted on
his predecessor, Olympic champion in mountain biking in London in 2012. If this coronation was hardly in doubt in view of the hitherto perfect course of Lecomte during the rounds of Albstadt, Nove Mesto, Leogang and Les Gets, her relative disappointment with her sixth place at the Tokyo Olympics, where she took on the role of favorite for the first time, has been erased. "
I am surprised but so happy with this result after these few difficult weeks
", congratulated the interested party on
about her fourth place. A (very) nice result in view of his recent health concerns which had deprived him of the chance to defend his title in the U23 category (U23).
Koretzky defeats the Swiss ogres
It is therefore without the iridescent jersey that she offered herself, all smiles a deserved walkabout before crossing the line at Lenzerheide.
A smile that has never left her since her hatching at the highest level, where she shares the headliner of French mountain biking with the triple world champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévôt (2015, 2019, 2020).
Losing her title at Vol di Sole (Italy) a week earlier, the 29-year-old Rémoise had decided to skip the stage in Switzerland.
“
I feel really tired physically and mentally,
” explained on her social networks the one who was still very present at the edge of the circuit.
The multi-medalist was able to appreciate the spectacle offered by the men's race and her compatriot Victor Koretzky, who gleaned her second victory of the year in Albstadt (Germany). As a nice confirmation for the native of Béziers, already third in the World Cup last week in Italy where he had finished just over a minute from the now nine-time world champion Nino Schurter and his compatriot Mathias Flückiger, second as in Tokyo (Briton Tom Pidcock won gold). This time, Koretzky (fifth at the Games) will therefore have tamed the Swiss ogres, which is more at home. The Frenchman (26), who is now 354 points behind Flückinger at the World Cup, still takes the opportunity to steal his first place in the world.