Who can stop Quentin Fillon Maillet? In Finland anyway, no one. After winning the Kontiolahti sprint on Saturday, the Jurassien did it again on Sunday March 6 by finishing well ahead of the pursuit. One more step towards the big crystal globe for him, and above all the confirmation that he is the undisputed boss of this season.
After the sprint, he said to himself “ satisfied with the result “but found his ski” not exceptional “. On the pursuit, he had even more margin than the day before, even allowing himself to release the pressure on his last lap, which started quietly in the lead thanks to a 19 out of 20 rifle in hand. He is ahead of the German Erik Lesser (2and) and the Italian Lukas Hofer (3and).
We have long believed in the French double. Starting sixth, Emilien Jacquelin started very well to find himself on the skis of his compatriot after the shots lying down. But he paid dearly for his two mistakes on the standing and especially his efforts at the start of the race. He ended up finishing fourth. ” I didn’t have the resources in the last climb to go for the podium. But I had fun, I was in a more natural pattern, more on the attack “, declared the double world champion of the pursuit at the microphone of the chain L’Equipe.
But what suspense for this 3rd shot ? #lequipeBIATHLON https://t.co/mFfaWWtE6N
Martin Fourcade in the viewfinder
After the relative disappointment, Jacquelin mainly returned to the new victory of Fillon Maillet, something almost usual for several months. “ I wanted to tickle him today, push him to his limits. He has the confidence and the composure to live up to his standards. For me it’s not incredible, he just does Quentin. »
Du Quentin, who looks more and more like Martin Fourcade. After taking five medals at the Beijing Olympics, which his illustrious compatriot had never managed to do, he won a sixth consecutive pursuit, equaling Fourcade’s record. He will even have the opportunity to dispossess him of this record during the last two pursuits of the season (in Estonia on March 12 and in Norway on March 19).
Thanks to this success, he also succeeds Fourcade by pocketing his first small globe, that of the pursuit, while waiting for the big one, which seems no longer able to escape him. ” Nothing scares him, he continues to remain himself despite what is at stake. When he’s alone in the lead, he doesn’t ask questions. It’s strong what he does, because the competition is tough confirms Simon Desthieux.
Without competition
A competition which still loses big points on him after this race, and which seems not to ski in the same dimension. Between those who are not there, like the Boe brothers (Johannes ended his season, Tarjei is ill), or those who did not manage to follow him on Sunday, like the Swede Sebastian Samuelsson (24and), no one keeps up with the French. Who, moreover, only takes care of him on the track.
” Today I did not let myself be disturbed by others. I stayed in what I know how to do, in my race “, he assured after the pursuit. If he wants to see his opponents in the standings, he has to turn around and look far behind. His first pursuer, Emilien Jacquelin, is now 144 points behind. Suffice to say that barring disaster, a fourth Frenchman will win the overall this season, after Patrice Bailly-Salins (1994), Raphaël Poirée (2000, 2001, 2002, 2004) and therefore Martin Fourcade (from 2012 to 2018).
The big globe almost assured, is this the time for calculations for Fillon Maillet? ” I’m not here to insure my big globe “, sweeps the Jura. ” Of course that’s the end goal, but without good racing there’s none of that. I want to continue to do good competitions. »