After his victory at Lenzerheide, the Narbonnais Victor Koretzky announced that his goal would be to achieve his first short-track success at Snowshoe: mission accomplished. Koretzky is definitely irresistible at the end of the season.
Perhaps we should have asked Victor Koretzky, before the start of the diplomatic crisis between France and the USA and Australia, to negotiate in the best interests of his country? With his 5th place at the Tokyo Olympics, his 3rd place at the cross-country mountain biking World Championships, after his two successes in the Specialty World Cup and again his 3rd place in the general classification of the event before the last race which takes place last night, the Narbonnais had arguments to make, arguments that his opponents could only see on Saturday at Snowshoe (USA). The member of the Vélo Sprint Narbonnais, in the last lap of a 20-minute race, a long and violent sprint, very different from cross-country, sank alone into the haze of the Appalachian mountain resort. Behind, his pursuers saw only his bib and then… nothing. Too thick this fog. Too strong the Narbonnais! With this 3rd World Cup victory in the same season, we have to go back to 2016 and to a certain Julien Absalon, the tricolor mountain bike legend, to equal such a record. However, the mountain biker will not be this year either Olympic champion, World champion or World Cup winner. He will not be able to catch up with Mathias Flueckiger who finished 5th in the race.
A career on the road ahead
Revenge promised next year. Not sure ! Victor Koretzky signed a two-year contract with the B & B Hotels team of Jérôme Pineau, the boss, and Didier Rous, the sports manager. Direction the Tour of Flanders or Paris-Roubaix before, perhaps, one day, the Tour de France. Far from the mountain bike World Cup tracks. “If I still have to prove myself on the road, I think I have shown that I have the physical condition. Other mountain bikers before me have proven that doing a double project can pay off” said the future professional on the road eight days ago. Like in his time his brother Clément Koretzky.In fact, Victor only follows the thread woven for years by many talented mountain bikers, such as Jean-Christophe Péraud, Olympic vice-champion in 2008 and 2nd in the Tour de France 2014, and like Peter Sagan (triple World champion, winner of the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, 18 stages on the big tours and 7 best sprinter jerseys on the big loop…). “We see how mountain bikers are capable of performing on the road and Victor is of the caliber of Pidcock or Van der Poel. His physical capacities are exceptional. His agility and his explosiveness too. He is an exceptional boy who will contribute at the club all its freshness “ explains Jérôme Pineau. The Narbonnais finished his 2021 season. The most beautiful! “The goal will be to keep this balance between road and mountain biking in order to allow me to participate in the World Cup rounds, according to their dates, in order not to descend too much in the world hierarchy and keep a good place on the grids. starting “ also specified the mountain biker. It is true that Paris 2024 is not so far away.
Unlucky victor koretzky
For the last race of the year, Sunday evening, also the last event of the cross-country MTB World Cup, Victor Koretzky was unable to conclude his end of the season in style. Victim of mechanical boredom halfway through, the Narbonnais let his escape companions go, death in the soul. The time to repair, the member of the Vélo Sprint Narbonnais manages to recover nearly a minute then on the leading men but it will not be enough, the American Christopher Blévins wins at home. Victor Koretzky will now be able to recover and then project himself towards a year 2022 when he will combine mountain biking and road in the professional B & B Hotels team.
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