Text by André Santos and Teemu Virtanen
The French Team Nordic Experience, formerly known as Team Decathlon Experience, had a good season last winter as Alexis Jeannerod and Roxane Lacroix raced really well. Alexis had solid performances in the top 20 while Roxane finished among the best six skiers in the last three events of the season. Unfortunately for the team, both skiers retired after their successful winter.
Now, the French team is counting on their still active skiers, and they want to get closer to the top. One of the new athletes in the team is Jennifer Lambert. This talented skier will make her Pro Tour debut this winter, and she can be this season’s rising star. She managed to reach the third position in the sprint race at the French Roller-ski Championships in Chamrousse in the region of Val D’Isere.
“My 3rd position at the French Roller-ski Championship was a big surprise”, says Jennifer. “It was just a preparation race, not a goal. Moreover, all my training plan is focusing on long-distance skiing and double-poling. But I felt good, and I am sure that training for long distances is helping me to become better at other disciplines.”
In addition, some other athletes from Team Nordic Experience performed well despite not having trained for this competition. Theo Deswaziére and Paul Combey passed the qualification race, competing against strong athletes that are members of the French National Team.
Jennifer has spent the summer getting ready for the next season, training with her teammates in different locations and enjoying a variety of landscapes and terrains in France. She admits that she is feeling excited about this new phase in her cross-country skiing career after spending some years competing at the French Cup and long-distance events in France.
“I am thrilled to be able to race at the Visma Ski Classics prestigious events. This first season, my goal is to get a notion of what I am capable of in the world of long-distance skiing and to improve as a skier. I am sad because Roxane Lacroix and Alexis Jeannerod are not with us anymore as they were very experienced long-distance skiers. But the rest of the team is also very experienced, and I will learn from them. They give me a boost.”
