You seem to be back to your best, how are you feeling?
“I had certainties in my game before I got injured and I managed to recover them little by little. But I don’t feel like I’m back to 100% of my abilities yet. I had been warned that the operation was complicated and, in my head, I was formatted that it would be stiff. I came back to competition without being at the level of before on certain race statistics. Besides, I’m still not there and that annoys me a little… It’s as if I was running behind an old me who isn’t there. But it’s good for the head to be back in competition fairly quickly.
You talked about your burnout during this convalescence and it’s a subject that has come up regularly in recent months among top athletes, do people talk to you about it?
“Yes, it’s a bit crazy, but I’ve had comments on my social networks from people who have daily jobs and who thank me for bringing this subject to light. I’ve been asked a lot about articles on this subject because I don’t have too much to hide. I am not part of this generation of players who keep everything to themselves and relax after their career, to do anything. I preferred to talk about it because it is important for the future generation. Talking can save. It is to shed a weight”.
It is an objective to get a selection at the end of the season
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What game do you expect against Lyon in the European Challenge final?
“These are two very rich squads with a lot of quality and great individuality on both sides. Against Lyon, it will be 50/50. If we think that because we have beaten them twice this season, we will win, we are wrong. They have a big squad with strong players. It will be a big game, intense on both sides.
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Is it a real advantage to have already played at the Vélodrome and won against Toulouse (19-15) this season?
“A final is still different. It was my first experience at the Vélodrome and it was an atmosphere of an international level match. The Stade de France is the same. It was crazy ! But it was also as if we had already prepared our final. It was important not to get overwhelmed by the emotion, of the family, of 60,000 people in the stands who are yelling at you. Le Pilou-Pilou with 60,000 people is also not the same (laughs)”.
Do your individual performances push you to consider the France team again?
” Sure. It is an objective to get a selection at the end of the season. I hope like a good number of French players to be able to retouch with the blue fleece. I would like to share the experience they are having at the moment because it is a great team from France which is stringing together superb performances. It makes me want to be part of this group even more.”
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