Life in the rainbow!

In Huntsville, anything is possible. Among the French team, the mood was understandably upbeat after the first two days of competition. Four of our riders lined up for the time trial, a 14.6-kilometre circuit to be completed once or twice depending on the category.

Let’s not kid ourselves: despite being just 19, Louis Hubert was the clear favourite in the C3 category. Having won every World Cup time trial this season, as well as the overall discipline standings, the young Breton had just one thing on his mind: winning his first world title. One year after claiming the silver medal that put him on the map, he has now taken the top step of the podium. He won by around 30 seconds and will have the privilege of wearing this beautiful rainbow skinsuit for an entire year.

Gatien Le Rousseau, meanwhile, had a score to settle. Having missed part of the season after suffering a fractured jaw, the Paralympic medallist was determined to make an immediate impact at Cummings Research Park. He became world champion by more than a minute ahead of his two French teammates in the C4 category, setting the tone for the road race.

We know him well as a regular on the podium in skiing, so expect to see him regularly fighting for the top spots in the world of para-cycling too. Arthur Bauchet had every reason to be ambitious heading into this time trial. Fresh from winning the European title in the discipline in June, the young champion came within touching distance of the ultimate prize. He finished second, just two seconds behind the powerhouse of his category, Alexandre Leauté (C2). That result should whet his appetite ahead of the road race, which promises plenty of suspense.

Eliott Pierre also secured a strong result, finishing 10th in the C5 category.

Louis Hubert:

“Yesterday, the conditions were pretty extreme. It was very hot and, in the start area, I could see 40°C on my computer. So I had to manage those particular conditions, especially as I had rarely ridden such a long time trial before (30 kilometres). I tried to pace my first lap well, not to go off too hard and to stick to my power zones. At the first intermediate split, I was only three seconds ahead of my main rivals, the Canadians. But I managed to find another gear on the second lap, and in the end I finished 29 seconds and one minute ahead of them. I’m very happy with the result. It’s the culmination of an incredible season for me, with lots of wins and titles. I’m extremely happy. Thanks to the team for supporting me every day. Now there’s the road race left, and I’m aiming for the double!”

Gatien Le Rousseau:

“It was a very fast course, with some nice corners where you had to get your lines right. I had some apprehension about that after my jaw fracture, but I worked on it. You had to manage your effort well, especially because of the extreme heat. Since I was a long way down in the UCI rankings, I started well before the favourites, so I had to be patient and wait for the results. I’m very proud to share the podium with two other French riders. It’s the third year in a row that we’ve all been on the podium together, which is pretty special. All three of us rode a fantastic race. For the road race, we’ll keep targeting gold. Whatever the scenario, we hope France wins. The course isn’t very selective, so we’ll have to be strong tactically and physically.”

Arthur Bauchet:

“I knew I was in good form at the moment and capable of getting a strong result. Everything went well yesterday. Finishing second is great, but when it’s that close, just two seconds… You see all the little things around the course that could have been done better to find those two seconds… But I’m still very proud to be world silver medallist. It gives me plenty of motivation to try to go for the rainbow jersey on Monday, and I’m also already thinking about next year’s World Championships, which will be held on home soil…”