Simon Vuillet has taken another step towards the world elite. What were the key moments of his best season, what does he do in his free time, and how satisfied is he with his Pro Team?
Simon Vuillet may not be a name you find at the top of the Ski Classics results just yet. However, the young Frenchman, representing the Czech-Italian Pro Team, Team Slavia Pojišťovna Robinson Trentino, made significant strides during Season XVII (2025/2026). He broke into the top 10 for the first time at the Bad Gastein Criterium, consistently placed around 15th in the final events, and earned a third place in the Youth bib competition. These impressive results come despite not being a professional athlete; outside of training and racing, he is a diligent student of civil engineering.
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A turning point race
When Simon couldn’t keep pace in a three-man breakaway at the Norwegian Marcialonga Bodø race, he finished in 13th place. He knew he was still missing something. However, he discovered something very important: he realized he could break away with the best skiers in the world.
This season has been a breakthrough for the young Frenchman in Ski Classics. It started strong and ended even stronger, yet he admits there is still room for improvement. The January events didn’t go as expected, and Simon does not make excuses. But the season’s conclusion? That suited him well.
Loves the hills
“Marcialonga Bodø was the race I enjoyed the most. I proved to myself that I have what it takes.”
Vuillet is the type of athlete for whom the course is very important. Long flat stretches are not his forte, but once the hills appear, he comes into his own. This is why the final races of the season, challenging, undulating, and physically exhausting, consistently brought him finishes around 15th place.
Vasaloppet told a different story. At the end of February, he was struck by illness, his training preparation collapsed, and the course profile, which he truly dislikes, long, flat, and unforgiving, resulted in a corresponding outcome. The Frenchman is honest about this and hides nothing.
But then came Norway. Marcialonga Bodø and Simon Vuillet at the front of the peloton in a breakaway with two experienced rivals: Max Novak and Torleif Syrstad. Although the group eventually caught up with him, he took away more from this race than from many others. He saw that he belonged there. And this newfound confidence could be crucial in the upcoming season.
The Pink bib
Among his personal milestones this season is the third place overall in the Ski Classics Youth competition. Before the start, Vuillet knew that the two names ahead of him were currently stronger, and he accepted that. The goal was to reach the podium, and he succeeded.
In several races, he experienced what it was like to wear the pink leader’s bib, even though he was not the leader, on paper, of the category. This season was his last in the under-26 category, which motivates him rather than constrains him: “This season in the Youth category was my last. I’m heading into the next one wanting to show what I can do. I have gained more experience over the year,” he says to Bezky.net.
French cooperation and family team
A significant advantage for the young Frenchman is having another support in the peloton, training partner Jérémy Royer. Although they represent different Pro Teams and Jérémy ranks higher in the overall standings, he is important to Simon not only in the training process: “In the peloton, we try to help each other out.”
At the Grand Finale Summit to Senja, they even attempted to reach the front group together, but Royer was stronger that day, and Simon couldn’t assist further. Vuillet hopes they can train together during summer preparations and recalls last year’s training camp with other skiers, which was very beneficial for everyone.
Both successful athletes are coached by the same coach, Rémi Salacroup, who also trains the excellent French Pro Team athlete Hanna Finne.
Vuillet feels good in his team. He describes the atmosphere as great, and the team puts in solid work, including ski service. He is also realistic: competing financially and logistically with the strong teams is very challenging. But a change? He is not considering it.
When he has free time
Vuillet is not a fully professional athlete like the top skiers in the Pro Tour. Alongside racing, he studies civil engineering with a focus on energy, and in April, just after the season ended, he faced exams. Thus, there was little time for sports. He plans to obtain his degree by the end of next year: “I took fifteen days off, focused mainly on studying, and then slowly started training again, just for fun, cycling and running. Soon, I will start my internship, so I will have to balance work with training. It will be busy.”
And what are the hobbies that help him shift his thoughts elsewhere and relax? “In my free time, I enjoy tinkering, like fixing my bike, or I relax by the lake when the weather is nice. That’s enough for me.”
Author: Adéla Ročárková
Photo: Nordnes/NordicFocus
