The dark look, Sébastien Vigier joins the corner of the France team.
The disappointment is huge.
The sprinter from the French team (25), double European champion last August (speed, keirin) has just finished 4th in the keirin final marked by a Dutch double Harrie Lavreysen-Jeffrey Hoogland.
In addition, the Essonne runner licensed at US Créteil, fell just after the line.
"It's like this…" he squeaks.
I'm burned all over.
I would have been 3rd and won a medal, I wouldn't have cared… But there, I know I'm going to have a bad night.
We'll see what we'll be able to do with the doctor but it could affect my recovery for speed
(starting on Saturday)
.
Finishing 4th is a real disappointment because I felt good.
»
In addition to Vigier, there was a second Frenchman in the keirin final, Melvin Landerneau.
But he finished 5th.
"There was a way to do better," he said.
After two days of competition and the disappointment in men's team speed on Wednesday (elimination in the quarter-finals), the French sprint team is therefore still empty-handed.
"We still have the kilometer and the individual speed", hopes Landerneau.
The French women's pursuit team "writes its history"
After the failed introduction on Wednesday (also elimination in the quarterfinals for the men's team pursuit), endurance still brought its first medal to the French clan on the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines track.
If Donavan Grondin, pro runner at Arkéa-Samsic finished 5th in the scratch event, just after, the French women's pursuit team won the bronze medal.
The quartet made up of Marion Borras, Clara Copponi, Valentine Fortin and Victoire Berteau clearly dominated Australia in the small final.
This is the first time that a French women's team has been on the podium of a World Championship.
“We are writing history, our history, confides Marion Borras who will evolve in 2023 in the Ile-de-France team St Michel Auber 93. Since Tokyo, we had this podium in the back of our minds.
But we took the steps one by one.
Steven Henry our trainer does everything so that we do not ignite.
But two years from the Olympics, it's nice to achieve a result like that, especially at home in front of our public, our family, our friends.
We worked hard for that.
»
The other smile of this 2nd day is the dazzling smile of Mathilde Gros who qualified for the individual sprint semi-finals which will take place this Friday.
“A first objective achieved,” she smiles.
She appreciated the atmosphere that reigned in the Velodrome.
“I had never known that, recognizes the sprinter.
Greg (Baugé) who had played the Worlds here in 2015 had warned us.
But you have to live it to really feel all these emotions.
After my victory in the 2nd round of the quarterfinals against Sophie Capewell (Great Britain), I had goosebumps.
I'm so happy to have been able to share these moments with the public.
»
As for one of the stars of these Worlds, the Italian Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) who broke the legendary hour record on Saturday (56.792 km / h) on Saturday on the track of the velodrome in Granges (Switzerland), he showed his power and also ignited the Velodrome.
But he had to settle for the silver medal with Italy, beaten by Great Britain in the team pursuit final.