Berlin (AFP)

Perrine Laffont, defending champion of the World Cup moguls, makes her comeback this weekend in Ruka (Finland), for a season she qualifies as "transition", just like the French ski cross team, already favorite of the inaugural event in Val Thorens.

With nine podiums in nine events last season, Perrine Laffont confirmed at 21 that she was the world leader in her specialty. But after five full-fledged seasons, she warned her fans: "I have won a lot of titles, including the Olympic title, but also World Championship and World Cup titles," she said.

"Last season was strong as I even won my first big crystal globe so I decided to take the upcoming World Cup with a little more light knowing there is not this year of World Championship, "she adds.

"I'm taking the 2019-2020 World Cup as a Transition World Cup before accelerating again for the 2021 World Championships and the Beijing Olympics in 2022," said the "boss boss". "That does not mean that I do not intend to do everything to win, but if it does not, I do not want to take my head too much!"

On the ski-cross side, the French armada returned to the world cup at home on Thursday for the qualifications at Val Thorens. World Cup champion Bastien Midol, world champion François Place and world number two Jean-Frédéric Chappuis are the locomotives of a tricolor team that can also count on Jonathan Midol, Bastien's brother, and Terence Chiknavorian, injured last season.

The founders, who made their comeback last weekend, find themselves for a biathlon and relay in Lillehammer, Norway.

Program in French hours

- Friday 6th December

Ski-cross in Val Thorens

12:00 - M & D

- Saturday, December 7th

Nordic Combined in Lillehammer (Norway)

10h00 / 14h30 - Team event

Cross-country skiing in Lillehammer (Norway)

11:00 am - Skiathlon ladies

12h30 - Men's Skiathlon

Ski jump in Lillehammer (Norway)

12.45 pm - Individual HS140 ladies (normal springboard)

Ski jump in Nizhny Tagil (Russia)

15h30 - Individual HS134 gentlemen (normal springboard)

Ski-cross in Val Thorens

11:00 - M & D

Bosses in Ruka (Finland)

3:00 pm - M & D

- Sunday, December 8

Nordic Combined in Lillehammer (Norway)

9:15 am / 1:30 pm - Individual event big hill / 10 km

Cross-country skiing in Lillehammer (Norway)

10:15 - Relay 4x5 km ladies

11:45 - Relay 4x7,5 km gentlemen

Ski jump in Lillehammer (Norway)

14h00 - Individual HS140 ladies (normal springboard)

Ski jump in Nizhny Tagil (Russia)

15h30 - Individual HS134 gentlemen (normal springboard)

© 2019 AFP