France 2nd in the relay behind Norway in the World Cup

They are untouchable in the World Cup. The French managed to beat them at the World Championships, came close this Saturday, but as soon as necessary, the Norwegians accelerate on skis or achieve the perfect shot. The Blues therefore settled for second place in Ostersund (Sweden) on the last stint of the season.

First torchbearer, the young Oscar Lombardot (22 years old) knew how to keep France in contact with a provided group, where the gaps remained tight. Then Antonin Guigonnat, the most comfortable on skis, but in difficulty on the standing shot, left it to Éric Perrot to get back to the front of the race. When the last French torchbearer, Fabien Claude, started, the Blues were only 14 seconds behind Norway, Switzerland and Sweden.

The Frenchman, perfect on the prone shot, then allowed to believe in a feat, finding himself in the fight with Vetle Sjastad Christiansen for the victory. But the Norwegian’s excellent standing shot and Claude’s errors sealed second place for Les Bleus. A nice performance to end the relay season, before the mass-start on Sunday.