On Wednesday 12th April, sprinters start with the team sprint competition
The French team qualifying rounds competitors are Benjamin Edelin 1st, Sébastien Vigier 2nd and Quentin 3rd. Great performance for the French team! They finish 2nd with a time of 43"390, just after the New Zealanders (43"267) who are world champions and silver medal at the Rio Olympic Games. "Good start of the day with a qualifying race above our expectations! Before departure, I felt the pressure, all of us did! During warm-up, I didn't feel great but I stayed extremely focused on what I was doing. 43"390 is our best time and it's a world top performance! Times are extremely high for a post Olympic Championship!!!".
For the 2nd qualifying round, François Pervis replaces Quentin in the trio.
This strategic choice was decided by the 2 French sprinting coaches Herman Terryn and Clara Henriette before the competition started. "The decision was made that François would join in the semi finals. I was supporting him and the team and was convinced he could be faster that me which would be great for the team!!! If it was the case we would have access to the final 1-2". Once again, the French team performs well (43"645) and Australia is eliminated. With the 3rd best time behind New Zealand (43"183) and the Netherlands (43"481), they compete for a bronze medal against Poland. "Despite a false start, it was a great team performance! They beat Australia and give us access to the final 3-4."
A short rest and the French are back on the track
For the final 3-4, the French Team competes with B. Edelin, S. Vigier and Quentin (same group as the one at the beginning of the day). "François does an excellent time but slightly less than mine. So the coaches decide that I will run this final race. We have had a smart strategy as the 3rd cyclist is the one who physically suffers the most. By swapping, we kept energy". Very good start with B. Edelin and S. Vigier, Quentin starts the last lapse slightly behind the 3rd Polish cyclist, Mateusz Rudik. Quentin catches up on him and crosses the finish line 1st. Great victory for the French Team with a beautiful bronze medal. "We were deeply motivated. We gave it all! We could get a medal. No need to be afraid! We made it all together!!! We are all very happy. The FFC is very pleased with our achievement and with our team spirit".
