ARKEA-B&B HOTELS heading to Camors!
This year’s French Cyclo-cross Championships will be held on the Breton territory of the ARKEA-B&B HOTELS team, in Camors. Clément Venturini in the Elite Men’s category will be looking to make it six in a row in Morbihan, while Rémi Lelandais, Amandine Fouquenet and Anaïs Morichon will also be aiming for the title in the U23 Men’s and Elite Women’s categories.
“The French Cyclo-cross Championships are always a special moment for me, and all the more so this year in Camors, on the Breton soil of my new ARKEA-B&B HOTELS team. I obviously want to shine in this jersey, but I’m not underestimating the competition. My wish is to have fun in Brittany, and to give it to the supporters of the ARKEA-B&B HOTELS team, who will be out on the circuit cheering us on throughout the weekend, including Rémi Lelandais, Amandine Fouquenet, Anaïs Morichon and myself. We’re a real team. I can feel everyone is motivated and behind us. Cyclo-cross is a discipline that is recognised for its true worth by our General Manager, Emmanuel Hubert, and I’m going to do everything I can to get the team on the right track in 2024 and win a sixth French professional cyclo-cross championship title.”
“I took a bit of a break after the World Cup in Gavere. That allowed me to recover and then do a big block of training before the French Championships in Camors. It’s one of the 3 big objectives I’ve set myself this season. I already raced on this circuit last season during the French Cup round. It was very physical and I enjoyed it. The organisers have made a few slight changes. The conditions will certainly be different, perhaps muddier. This year I’ve chosen to race more often with the Elites, especially in the Coupe de France, to make progress with longer races. This will be my very first competition in the ARKEA-B&B HOTELS jersey. We’ll be at home, with a lot of support. We’ll have to rely on the support of the public, who will be with us.”
“I’ve been able to prepare calmly and seriously for this event. I completed my approach to France by taking part in the Gullegem cyclo-cross in Belgium last week. The Camors course suits me. I had the opportunity to discover it during a winter training camp in Morbihan, with the ARKEA-B&B HOTELS team. I really like it. Playing at ‘home’ will be a great source of motivation, especially as a bus with a large number of my supporters will be coming to cheer me on. I’m setting out with the aim of winning the French Champion’s jersey. But I’m aware of the competition, especially in a one-day race where anything can happen. Cyclo-cross is a discipline that I love for its friendly atmosphere. This weekend will be the great Breton cyclo-cross festival.”
“The course proposed for the French Championship is a bit different from 2022 when I won the two French Cup rounds held in Morbihan. It’s a fairly varied course. Personally, I’d like to finish on the podium, especially as this French Championship is being held in Brittany. The atmosphere promises to be incredible, and the fans will be really supportive. Wearing the colours of the Breton ARKEA-B&B HOTELS team will be an asset. There will be no shortage of encouragement, and that will be an additional source of motivation.”
“Cyclo-cross is a formative discipline from a technical and physical point of view, which subsequently enables its followers to become very good road racers. We’ve had plenty of examples over the years of riders who do the whole winter season, and then shine in the spring and summer on asphalt. I’ve always had an interest in this discipline, and in the past, with my team, I’ve won French Championship titles in both the men’s and women’s professional categories. I know the significance of these successes. That’s why Clément Venturini in the Elite Men’s category and Rémi Lelandais in the U23 category have joined us this year. He has had the opportunity to race for a large part of the winter season, and will also be expected on the road. The national title that will be awarded in Camors is one of our common objectives, as this event takes place in Morbihan, on our Breton soil. We’ve done everything we can to ensure that we all perform well at this French Championship, as well as for the rest of the season at international level.”