Paris (AFP)
The French pursuit team has improved three times the national record of 4 kilometers start stopped at the first round of the track World Cup in Minsk (Belarus).
Thomas Denis, Corentin Ermenault, Valentin Tabellion and Benjamin Thomas went Friday to the final of the team pursuit tournament. They have long competed with Denmark before falling in the last kilometer, in the time of 3 min 51 sec 777.
In qualifying on Thursday, the foursome had shattered the previous record of October 2018 by two seconds (3:55:53). Friday, he lowered the mark at 3 min 51 sec 992, in the match against Italy, before further improving his record in the final.
Only Thomas (24), the French time trial champion on the road, was part of the team that held the previous record. But Ermenault (23), recent European champion of individual pursuit, and Denis (22 years) have been pillars of the group for several years. Tabellion (20), who runs for the Vendée U, is the last to arrive.
The women's team also broke the French record to reach the last four of their tournament, in the time of 4 min 17 sec 372, 2 sec 22/100 less than the previous performance last July.
Marion Borras, Clara Copponi, Coralie Demay and Valentine Fortin then went on to score (4: 18: 667) in the bronze medal match for the Italian quartet. The tournament was won by the American team, including the world time trial champion Chloé Dygert, in 4 min 13 sec 762.
© 2019 AFP