A few weeks before the Gets World Cup, and the 2025 world championships, Yvan Clolus, the national coach of VTT XC takes stock of the French team. Who are the in shape athletes, who is at rest, what dynamic to wait? We take stock for women, men and hopes.
The Gets World Cup will take place on the last weekend in August 2025, after a break in the season for XC competitors. How to manage months at the highest level, and how to approach the world championships in this post-Olympic year?
Yvan Clolus is the national coach of the French cross-country team. He spots future high -level athletes and accompanies them, in parallel with their teams, to maximize their performance under the colors of the tricolor jersey. It reminds us of it from the outset: 2025 is a special year: “Paris 2024 represented a very strong objective, which was generally achieved. Behind, we knew we entered a year of transition. »»
French team men
“We wanted to give a little air to our athletes and staff, so that they can rebuild, regenerate. It also coincides with a generational transition that begins, especially in men. That said, our “big brothers” like Victor Koretzky, Jordan Sarrou or Joshua Dubau are still there, even if they have targeted their objectives – especially the Worlds.
But what is exciting is the dynamics of young people. Luca Martin, Mathis Azzaro, Adrien Boichis… They confirm that they clearly embody the new generation. It is they we look at for the Olympic Games 2028, even 2032.
In mountain biking, the real surprises are rare: when you perform cadets and juniors internationally, you are generally the same trajectory in U23, then in elite. This is the case of Luca, Mathis and Adrien… All have already been medalists. But everyone emerges at their own pace. Luca Martin, for example, we did not necessarily expect to see him already on the elite podiums of the World Cup this year, to play with Pidcock … And yet, he is there.
They have all the qualities to succeed those who will gradually leave. Luca is on a big wave, which he himself created, and he surfs it.
Matis follows a similar dynamic. Adrien Boichis is still looking a little between disciplines, but he is also very close. It is extremely positive to have this succession.
And Victor Koretzky, Jordan Sarrou and Joshua Dubau, how are they?
Victor Koretzky is faithful to himself. His start to the season was excellent. He may not have the leader’s jersey, but in his mind, he was the boss, especially in Brazil with his teammates like Blanvins, Vidaler or Adrien Boichis. Unfortunately, a big fall in training just before Leogang slowed down its dynamics. He must have abandoned there, and since then, he feels that it’s harder. And at this level, you go quickly from the top 3 to the top 20. But Victor is in his best years. He knows himself. This passenger hollow does not question anything. He will be in the medal race at the Worlds, whether in XCO or XCC.
Jordan Sarrou had a good start to the season, then a broken collarbone in November Mesto. It’s always frustrating. And there have been a lot of personal changes: he became a dad, he moved, his partner launched his business … It’s a lot at the same time. He resumed for the French championships after 5-6 weeks of stopping. He was already close to the medal. In Vallnord, he was 4th in XCC, and on the XCO, he was in the top 5 before a small fall. He preferred to raise his foot. This type of injury can become an opportunity: in Vallnord, we felt that the peloton was tired, when he still had energy. He’s hungry. He will make a very nice end of the season.
Joshua Dubau is a “double project” athlete: cyclo-cross and mountain biking. It is not trivial. He finished late with the CX Worlds in Liévin. Inevitably, it increased its spring. On the first mountain bike rounds, it was rather between the 40th and 45th place. But there, the trend is clearly reversed. He made a great French championship, in direct contact with Luca and Mathis. And in Vallnord, he signed an 11th place in XCC, then an 8th in XCO going up. He comes back hard. He will be a real client for the end of the season, and even for the 2028 Olympiad. He really wants, he has the qualities. We must not forget that he returns from a serious injury in the spring of 2024. He rebuilt his technical commitment, little by little.In mountain biking, it goes very quickly and the fall is always close. Finding the right level of engagement requires time. But Joshua is on the right track.
A mixture of young or experienced athletes is what you are targeting for the French team?
Yes, clearly. We have a very promising rising generation, and still very solid leaders. By 2028, we have an extremely healthy base, with different, complementary, and above all motivated profiles. It is difficult to predict what the team will be in three years, but we know that we have the tools to stay at the highest level. And that is very exciting.
French women’s team
We had two major leaders in France, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Loana Lecomte. And behind, it’s true that we had a lot more difficult to create a comparable density. When we look at Switzerland, they are almost eight in the world top 20. We don’t have this depth. We were lucky to have Pauline with the career we know, and Loana who took a little hope in hope. Today, things are balanced for her.
Loana, precisely, had the courage to change a lot after the games. She could have continued on her momentum, staying in comfort. But no: she has changed teams, equipment, coach-she is now working with an Anglo-Saxon coach, with new methods.
She also lost a reference: Pauline. Even if she was often absent, Pauline took light, media attention, part of the pressure. Suddenly, Loana found herself alone. And she said: Let me prepare for the 2025 World Cup, and beyond, for the 2028 games. This is what she builds. And we accompany it in this project, validated together, to aim for a medal in Los Angeles. It is a trajectory that takes time.
However, it remains present in the top 10.
Yes of course. At the start of the season, she was not at all dropped. In XCO, it is four times 9th or 6th on the first rounds, before its fall in Val Di Sole. That day, she was limited not to start Sunday after a concussion on Friday in XCC. Despite all that, she is in her cruising speed: world top 10. And she goes to look for the races she loves-like Mont-Sainte-Anne or Les Gets.
We build with her so that she was even stronger in 2026, aiming for the world title in 2027 in France, and getting a medal at the games in 2028. You have to be humble: the world’s top 10 top 10 is a crazy level. The current owner is Puck Pieterse. She is on a big wave, but she too will have her harder moments. We, with Loana, have a solid plan, based on the long term.
And behind Loana?
We have Olivia Ones, who is in a good dynamic. She has always had the qualities: podiums in juniors, very active then … sometimes too much. She was cyclo-cross in winter, road, mountain biking … and in parallel, she passed, and obtained, the school teacher competition, just after the bac.
She was still taught in the Paris region last year! Today, she has obtained a detachment from national education to focus on mountain biking. And it shows. At the French championships, she took two minutes in Loana. She makes the double XCC/XCO, she continues the podiums in U23. She is vice-champion of the world hope. She has a more physical profile, a little less technical than Loana, but we clearly put on her.
Hopes: U23, junior …
Among young women, we work with a good junior group: Lise Vévol, Lizon Desprez, Jeanne Duterne… They are promising athletes. In mountain biking, there is no room for team members or supporting roles. We do not take out a Pauline or a Loana each generation. No country does it.
Behind Olivia, if there is no one right away, we don’t panic. We know that in a year, two or three years, these young people will arrive. We must accept this rhythm. After Laurence Leboucher, we waited for Pauline, then Julie, then Loana. It’s like that. And let’s not forget that other disciplines such as the road or the cyclo-cross also attract very strong profiles. We trained athletes like Clément Berthet, Axel Zingle, Paul Magnier … But we lost them over time, for various reasons, sometimes economic. Mountain biking keeps the best, but it’s not always simple.
In mountain biking, every Sunday, we put a bib and we see exactly where we are. It is sometimes brutal.
And in young men, where are you?
For the very high level, we are on the generation of 22-23 years: Luca Martin, Adrien Boichis, Mathis Azzaro… and behind, some hopes like Alix André-Gallis, Naël Rouffiac…
And in junior, it also grows: Noah Philippi, Ghibaudo, Tessier … Our method remains the same: tightened pyramid. From the juniors, we keep 5 to 7 maximum, which we best accompany. But there are the vagaries of life, studies, physical, technical or mental ceilings. We try to give them all the chances, with all the experience accumulated in recent years with our best. But we stay on a demanding sport, without shelter possible.
Go to the last weekend in August to find our French athletes on track during the Gets World Cup!
