(Sportcom) – Antoine Cyr marked his season by finishing eighth on the cross-country World Cup calendar in the 20K classic presented in the mass start in Lahti on Sunday. If he could smell the podium again, the Quebecer assures he’ll be back even stronger next time.
In the end, Cyr was 8.4 seconds behind the winner Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo of Norway (44 minutes 13 seconds) and just 2.4 seconds separated him from Sweden, William Poromaa, the bronze medalist.
Simple numbers that perfectly sum up the emotions he experienced in the latter part of the event, fighting alongside the world elite of his sport.
“I was there, with the best. That was the most important thing. They’re big names and there are several big champions in the mix. It can be intimidating, but you have to get over it. Today I believed in my podium chances and am proud of my performance,” he summarized after the event.
Cyr also showed tenacity at the end of the race after a Norwegian cross-country skier fell on the very last climb of the course in front of him. “I had to slow down to go around it and I lost a good second,” he said. It doesn’t seem like much, but it makes a big difference in the end. It’s bad luck and it’s part of the sport.
However, that didn’t stop him from making his fourth individual top 10 of the campaign. Among other things, he signed fourth place in early January, the best performance of his career in Val di Fiemme, Italy.
“I’ve knocked on the door a few times and my confidence is always a little bit higher,” Cyr said.
As such, feeling accomplished and motivated at the highest level, he will return to Quebec earlier in the week to take advantage of a healthy rest period.
“I wanted to finish strong, especially after more difficult worlds, and I didn’t miss my chance. Now I can go home with my head held high. I’m super happy with what we’ve achieved this season.”
Olivier Léveillé is among the top 20
Also in action on Sunday was Olivier Léveillé (+1 minute 12.5 seconds), who also ended his season in style with a 20th place. While it’s his best individual finish on the 2022-23 calendar, the Sherbrooke resident admits crossing the finish line with some frustration. A feeling that quickly dissipated when he saw his rankings a few moments later.
“I was in very good form today and would have liked to go even further. On the other hand, a fall caught me after 7.5 kilometers and I found myself in a bad position. After that I was in catch-up mode until the end, but was still able to work my way up to 20th place almost on my own,” he explained.
“This is a good lesson for the next mass start races and still a very good way to end the year. I remain a little dissatisfied, but I’ve seen that I’m capable of executing this type of strategy.
In the women’s, Katherine Stewart-Jones achieved the best finish on the Maple Leaf with 37th place. The Chelsea cross-country skier finished just over 3 minutes behind event champion Norway, Anne Kjersti Kalvaa (51 minutes 4.3 seconds).
She won the sprint ahead of Swede Jonna Sundling (+0.9 seconds) and German Katharina Henning (+1.1 seconds). The only other Quebecer in the race, Liliane Gagnon, failed to finish the race.