Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (France) (AFP)
The horizon of the Olympics suddenly darkened for Michael d'Almeida and Bryan Coquard who were not selected for the Olympic events in the Track Cycling World Championships in late February in Berlin.
Michael d'Almeida, silver medalist in London-2012 and bronze medalist in Rio-2016 in team speed, lost his place to Quentin Lafargue and the last one called, Melveen Landerneau, whose rise to marked winter for the French track.
Bryan Coquard, silver medalist in the London Olympics, failed to win his selection for the American, next to Benjamin Thomas. The place was taken by Donovan Grondin (20), who runs on the road for the rival Arkea-Samsic team of the B&B Hotels group from Coquard.
"It was a small matter, on the details," said national coach Steven Henry of the runner-up associated with Thomas, a position which was also coveted by Morgan Kneisky.
"If the Berlin pair is very successful, it can be a big step forward," confirmed the endurance coach about the Tokyo Olympics. The French selection will be announced in two stages, April 5 for the sprint group, June 30 for the endurance group.
- Baugé le grognard -
In Berlin, Coquard (27) will be present but will only compete in the points race, a non-Olympic event. As for d'Almeida (32), he will line up in the kilometer, not registered in the program of the Olympic Games, just like Landerneau and Lafargue, the only Frenchman to have won a gold medal last year in Pruszkow (Poland ).
Landerneau's performances upset the hierarchy. "Melveen had the best four historic times in that position in five races," said National Sprint Coach Herman Terryn for third place in team speed. At the Worlds, Lafargue and Landerneau will take turns competing in the first two phases of the tournament before the possible final since the French, silver medalists last year (with Baugé, Vigier and Lafargue), hope to pulverize their best time.
"Three or four tenths less", table the national trainer for the trio launched by Grégory Baugé, who appears at 35 years of "grognard", survivor of a golden era. As for Sébastien Vigier, the group's torchbearer, he will be the basic man of the French sprint, also aligned in speed (with Quentin Caleyron) and in keirin (with Rayan Helal).
For the rest, the selection for the Worlds was announced without real surprise given the direction taken by François Pervis, another glorious former former consultant for France Televisions. Knowing that, if the chasers are still able to win their ticket to Tokyo ("you have to finish in front of Belgium to qualify," said DTN Christophe Manin), the situation is infinitely more complicated for the chasers. In DTN's opinion, "it would take a miracle".
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