Italy completed the qualifications for the men’s pursuit tournament in the World Track Cycling Championships on Wednesday in Roubaix, ahead of France and Denmark.
Behind their Filippo Ganna locomotive, the Italians achieved the time of 3 min 49 sec 008 over the 4 kilometers from a standing start, at an average of 62.880 km / h. If Francesco Lamon moved away before the third kilometer, Simone Consonni and Jonathan Milan stayed with Ganna until the end, the times being taken on the third rider of each formation.
The French took second place, their best result in the hierarchy for a long time, even before the first round scheduled for the evening and the final phase on Thursday.
Valentin Tabellion, Thomas Denis, Benjamin Thomas and Thomas Boudat, who finished together, signed the time of 3 min 51 sec 128, less than two seconds from the French record set at the 2020 Worlds on a significantly faster track.
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Podium goal
The performance allows them to aim for the podium, a level that the French (not qualified for the Tokyo Olympics) have not occupied since… 2003 and the bronze medal collected in Stuttgart (Germany).
Unlike Italy, which has lined up its four holders from Tokyo, Denmark, third time in qualifying, has deeply rejuvenated its team, with Carr-Frederik Bevort (17), Tobias Hansen (19) and Robin Skivild (20 years old). Only Rasmus Pedersen was part of the Olympic finalist team.
In the qualifications of the women’s tournament, Germany, Olympic champion in Tokyo, was credited with the best time (4 min 13 sec 082) ahead of Italy and Great Britain, her victim in the final of the Olympics.
Germany presented in Roubaix the sacred group at the recent European Championships in Granges (Switzerland), with three of the Olympic champions from Tokyo, Franziska Brausse, Lisa Brennauer and Mieke Kröger, alongside Laura Süssemilch.
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