Nové Mesto na Morave (Czech Republic) (AFP)
Norway won the relay for Nove Mesto (Czech Republic) counting for the Biathlon World Cup on Saturday, while France, reigning world champion but deprived of Martin Fourcade, took only 15th place after being sanctioned with two minutes of penalty.
The Norwegians (Christiansen, Dale, Tarjei Boe, Johannes Boe) signed their 4th victory in 6 races this season and outstripped Ukraine (Pryma, Semenov, Tkalenko, Pidruchnyi) and Sweden (Samuelsson, Nelin, Femling, Ponsiluoma) .
The Blues, gold medalists at the Anterselva World Championships on February 22, have completely missed out on them and have accumulated misadventures without Martin Fourcade, spared for the mass start on Sunday.
Antonin Guigonnat started very badly with 3 rifle errors on his first shot (prone) before Emilien Jacquelin, the revelation of the last World Championships with a coronation in pursuit, definitively leads the French chances by being penalized by 2 minutes for not having fired all of his pickaxe balls on his standing shot. The Frenchman did not have enough pickaxe balls after dropping one on the carpet during his prone shot.
It was then Simon Desthieux who fell as soon as he entered the track.
"I lacked lucidity, reacted Jacquelin on the L'Equipe channel. I should have raised my arms and asked for a pickaxe ball. I know the rules, I know what happens when we do this kind of I am very angry with the team. "
This stage of Nove Mesto is held behind closed doors due to the coronavirus epidemic.
© 2020 AFP