"If someone is satisfied with a 17th place, I think that he does not really have his place in this race" - French champion heavily critical of his own performance at World championships
Cyclocross
The cyclocross world witnessed another brilliant performance by Mathieu van der Poel last Sunday, who became the world champion for a record-equalling seventh time. Far off the interest of cameras, the best French riders competed to retain at least a bit of their pride in front of the home crowds, despite the blow out from Belgian and Dutch favourites. For the French champion Clément Venturini, there wasn't more than 17th place in the offer. Satisified? Not in the slightest...
"If there is someone who says that he is satisfied with a 17th place, I think that he does not really have his place in this race," Venturini is critical of his own performance at DirectVelo. He had certainly expected more from himself in front of home crowds in Liévin. "So the word satisfied is not very adequate."
Venturini further explains that he was never quite able to get into the "zone", ending up stuck far behind the battle for the top placings. "It was complicated from the start, after that it lasted 60 minutes, I did my best. I never knew how to find the right feeling on the circuit. There were passages that were good, others less good. I tried to do my best to be as consistent as possible."
Ultimately, the home course just wasn't to Venturini's liking. "We were hoping for a circuit that would be a little less difficult for me. After that, you have to know how to adapt. That is also the quality of a cyclocrossman, so it is not an excuse at all," he explains.
Venturini draws a mixed assessment of his winter, with (his seventh) victory at the French Championships as the highlight: "Certainly, I am French Champion, which is a big collective and personal objective. But there was a second one, which was to shine on the international level. I did not manage to do it this year. But let's say that 50% of the account is filled. There is a blue-white-red jersey on my back," he comes to a conclusion.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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