Collective strength propels French to top of Tissot UCI Track Nations Cup

Twelve different French riders took medals in the opening round of the 2022 Tissot UCI Track Nations Cup, last weekend in Glasgow (Great Britain).

In the first part of the 21st century Chris Hoy frustrated the French riders many times when he was racking up gold medals in all velodromes and competitions, but it was “Les Bleus” who went firing on all cylinders last weekend in Scotland’s Sir Chris Hoy velodrome, home of the first round of the 2022 Tissot UCI Track Nations Cup.

Thanks to strong leaders such as Corentin Ermenault, Mathilde Gros and Benjamin Thomas, and rising talents like Valentine Fortin and Eddy le Huitouze, the French men and women impressed with their collective strength and ended up dominating the medal standings (9 medals, including 5 golds, in 18 events) and the series rankings after four days of competitions.

But is this just the beginning for them, as the French national selection gears up towards their home Olympic Games in Paris, in 2024?

Last summer, the French squad took two bronze medals in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, in the men’s team sprint and in the men’s Madison. Last weekend in Glasgow, they collectively stepped up their game, in the two races that favoured them in Japan and in many other events.

Former leaders and newcomers

The French record is impressive and well balanced: four medals in sprint events and five in endurance events; four in team races and five for individuals; six for the men and three for the women. Twelve different French riders claimed medals from Thursday to Sunday, with Benjamin Thomas and Corentin Ermenault both taking two victories.

Already a four-time UCI Track World Champion, also a bronze medallist in the last Olympic Games, Thomas showed again how much of a leader he is for the French selection, dominating the team pursuit (with Thomas Denis, Corentin Ermenault and Eddy le Huitouze) and the Madison (with Thomas Boudat).

As for Corentin Ermenault, it was his return to the blue track squad, after accompanying Alexandre Lloveras to glory on the road last year in the Paralympic Games. In Glasgow, he claimed gold in both the team and individual pursuits, with a new French national record in the solo effort: 4’6’’250 in the qualifying round, and then 4’5’’644 in the final.

Riding with Thomas and Ermenault in the team pursuit, the young Eddy le Huitouze (19 years old) was riding an international Elite track event for the first time. He left Great Britain with a gold medal and went on to ride the Tour de Bretagne Cycliste on the road, starting on Monday.

“Today was the first time he did three team pursuits in a day,” Thomas said about his young teammate. “We are here to build our team for the Olympics and the preparation is starting today.”

Fortin and Gros step up to victory

Another rising talent, Valentine Fortin was almost as dominant as Thomas and Ermenault, adding more weight to the French record in the endurance events of the first round of the UCI Nations Cup. The 23-year-old rider had never won an event in the former UCI Track World Cup, but the first round of the 2022 Tissot UCI Track Nations Cup saw her take gold in the Madison, with Marion Borras, and silver in the elimination race, with only the Japanese icon and member of the WCC Team (the UCI World Cycling Centre's UCI Women's Continental Team) Yumi Kajihara ahead of her.

French sprinters also displayed their pure speed in the Sir Chris Hoy velodrome, most notably on Sunday, when Mathilde Gros powered to victory in the keirin with a strong and confident ride to hold off Colombia’s Martha Bayona (winner of the 500m TT and 3rd in the individual sprint) and Canada’s Lauriane Genest. The three-time Junior UCI Track World Champion has found her way back to victory after a couple of seasons hindered by self-doubt.

On the same day, Sébastien Vigier took bronze in the individual sprint. He had already claimed the silver medal in the team sprint with his partners Florian Grengbo and Rayan Helal on Thursday. Melvin Landerneau added one more medal to the French tally when he took silver in the men’s 1km time trial.

With these young, fast and resilient talents, France tops the overall standings of the 2022 Tissot UCI Track Nations Cup, where National Federations score points to earn qualification quotas for the UCI Track World Championships and, in the longer term, the Olympic Games. They can only aim for more success in the second round of the series, coming soon in Milton, Canada (12-15 May).