The French win the mixed biathlon relay in Nove Mesto, the Covid is back

Europe 1 with AFP 6:28 p.m., March 5, 2023

The French team won the mixed biathlon relay in Nove Mesto (Czech Republic).

The Blues were ahead of Sweden and Norway.

On the starting list on Sunday, three of the four French people had not yet been aligned in the mixed relay (4x6 km): Lou Jeanmonnot, Caroline Colombo and Éric Perrot.

Colombo was even in his first stint in the World Cup, while Jeanmonnot and Perrot had so far counted seven and three respectively.

In this strongly reorganized team after Quentin Fillon Maillet's positive Covid test and the early end of the season for Émilien Jacquelin, Fabien Claude was however launched in the best conditions, in the lead before the last stint, thanks to very solid performances. de Jeanmonnot, Colombo and Perrot behind the rifle, despite complicated wind conditions.

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"Unpublished composition"

"We had to make a somewhat new team composition, but as I told them, before the race there is nothing done. We could go for the win", commented Fabien Claude at the microphone of the channel L 'Team after the race.

Norway was deprived of the brothers Johannes and Tarjei Boe, positive for Covid on Saturday morning, authors of a double on the pursuit on Saturday afternoon (Johannes in front of Tarjei) while knowing that they were positive (the International Federation does not prohibit this winter the departure of Covid-positive biathletes), and who gave up the relays (mixed and mixed simple) on Sunday.

"The Swedes looked very strong on the starting list, and when I leave with Samuelsson there is a lot to do, at the moment he is faster than me", underlined Claude, 5th in the pursuit on Saturday in the Moravia station.

More solid than Samuelsson on the shooting range by clearing his ten targets without fail, against two pickaxes on the lying shot and two on the standing shot for the Swede, Fabien Claude ensured the second victory of the winter of the French mixed relay, after Pokljuka in early January.

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End of season turned upside down?

In the Slovenian Julian Alps, Fabien Claude had started the relay, with Quentin Fillon Maillet, Anaïs Chevalier-Bouchet and Julia Simon.

Anaïs Chevalier-Bouchet was lined up for the single mixed relay on Sunday afternoon with Antonin Guigonnat, while Julia Simon was left to rest, in view of the end of the season starting with the stage in Ostersund (Sweden) the week next.

In the race for the big crystal globe, the Covid has made a marked comeback and could invite itself as a referee, especially among women where the gaps are a little tighter (158 points ahead for Julia Simon over the Swedish Elvira Oeberg ).

Several cases of Covid were declared after the Worlds-2023 in Oberhof (Germany), including Julia Simon since remission, Fillon Maillet or the Norwegian Sturla Laegreid, first pursuer of Johannes Boe at the World Cup, positive in the middle of the week and who gave up racing at Nove Mesto.

Johannes Boe's presence in Sweden next week is uncertain.

Winner of thirteen individual races in the World Cup this season, the Norwegian has a lead of 399 points with five races (and 450 points to distribute) from the end.