It is an unprecedented success in a discipline that receives little media attention. Delphine Claudel signed a first for France in cross-country skiing by winning Sunday, January 8, in the 10 kilometers of the World Cup stage in Val di Fiemme, Italy.
The 26-year-old Vosgienne won at the top of the formidable climb of Alpe Cermis, where the slopes sometimes approach 30%, with a 20-second lead over Norwegian Heidi Weng and 35 seconds over the American Sophia Laukli. “In my head, it was quite plannedexplained Delphine Claudel on the L’Equipe channel after her victory. I knew I was really strong in the last eight hundred meters. (…) I said to myself: “It’s today, don’t 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 Tour de ski, a prestigious seven-stage competition contested in Switzerland, Germany and Italy, and integrated into the World Cup. “It’s a stage that everyone knows and watches because it’s atypical, continues the Frenchwoman. It closes the Tour de ski, which is a rather tiring combination of races. I am very happy to have confirmed [ici] after my two podiums in the last two seasons, to have climbed these steps and to be on the first today. »
On the strength of this first victory on the World Cup circuit, the Frenchwoman is now watching 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 in competitions other than this one, said Delphine Claudel. I managed to do a good job today, so I think other days will be good too. »
Delphine Claudel has been on the World Cup circuit since 2016. She has taken the start of 81 events since then and participated in the last two editions of the Winter Olympics, in 2018 in Sochi (Russia) and in 2022 in Beijing, where she twice finished in the top ten.