The quartet made up of Marion Borras, Clara Copponi, Valentine Fortin and Victoire Berteau won the small final against Australia in the last event of the day.

"We worked hard. We are not often at home, it's nice to have a good result like that at the end. We are working on our story and we hope that it will continue and that it will will be even more beautiful", underlined Marion Borras.

"The audience was incredible, it really pushes," added Clara Copponi.

The wait has been long for the French camp, which has run from disappointment to disillusion since the start of these Worlds at home, less than two years from the 2024 Olympics which will take place in the same velodrome.

Thursday again, it is a long time the bad luck which dominated.

Two Frenchmen were for example among the six finalists of the keirin with Sébastien Vigier and Melvin Landerneau, enough to hope for at least a medal.

But they finished at the foot of the podium, fourth and fifth, behind the Dutch, undisputed masters of the sprint, starting with Harrie Lavreysen who won his third consecutive title in the event and his tenth world title overall.

"It's a disappointment, physically I felt great, but I lacked a bit of anticipation," lamented Vigier, European keirin champion last August.

The joy of the French women delighted with their bronze medal at the Pursuit Worlds in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, October 13, 2022 Thomas SAMSON AFP

To make matters worse, the Francilien, trump card for individual speed this weekend, was involved in a fall after the finish with the silver medalist, Jeffrey Hoogland.

"I'm going to sleep badly"

"The night is going to be complicated. I'm going to sleep really badly and I'm afraid it will impact my recovery," he regretted, showing his torn shorts along his left thigh.

Disappointment again in the scratch, a non-Olympic event, dominated by the Canadian Dylan Bibic and where Donavan Grondin, who was defending champion, could not do better than fifth on Thursday.

The example of the chasers will perhaps inspire Mathilde Gros who made a strong impression to reach the semi-finals of the speed tournament which will take place on Friday.

The 23-year-old Frenchwoman, bronze medalist at the Worlds in 2019, won with a substantial margin in the quarterfinals against Briton Sophie Capewell in two sets.

"Tomorrow it will go up a notch again, facing the three best in the world. The objective is to try things, to crush as much as I can and end up dead from this day", reacted with a big smile the one who dreams of becoming an Olympic champion on the same track in less than two years.

The French Victoire Berteau, Marion Borras and Valentine Fortin during the World Team Pursuit Championships in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, October 13, 2022 Anne-Christine POUJOULAT AFP

"The crowd is incredible, I've never felt that in my life. Crossing the line, I got goosebumps. It's important to get your bearings for the Games," she said. .

Meanwhile, Great Britain overthrew defending Olympic champion Filippo Ganna's Italy to win gold in the men's team pursuit.

It is the first world title in this event since 2018 for Great Britain composed of Ethan Hayter, Oliver Wood, Ethan Vernon and Daniel Bigham.

The Belgian Lotte Kopecky won the women's elimination, an event not included in the Olympic program which was disputed only for the second time in history among women in a World Cup.

© 2022 AFP