Rowing – European Leagues: Overview of the French National Team

The European Rowing Championship begins on Friday in Varese, Italy. An overview of the challenges for the six boats of the French men’s team with French coach Samuel Baratay.

The French delegation arrived in Italy on Wednesday evening on the European Championship website. At the helm of the men’s team, the race for Olympic qualification for some and preparation for games for others is more important than the score goal in Varese. Boat by boat, national team coach Samuel Baratay assesses ahead of the start of events on Friday.

Two coxless with Guillaume and Thibaud Turlan

The Turlan brothers won their place in December when the national auditions were held in Libourne. They are new to discipline since before the Onfroy brothers were in this boat but Théophile Onfroy is currently injured in an elbow. It’s a little unknown, but the Turlan brothers put on convincing performances in December, and they have potential. They will find themselves in a trap with the eight finalists at last year’s European Championships. The boat is eligible for games, and at the end of May we will decide who will compose it for Tokyo. “

Pairs from all classes with Matteo Androdias and Hugo Boucheron

“This is our first boat even if it is not able to race in Poznan at the European Championship 2020 due to the Covid issue of Hugo Boucheron. This boat is the 2018 world champion. In training sessions in the Jura, it tops. On the other hand, there is enormous intensity. Except for this. The Chinese and New Zealanders, everyone is there. The confrontation will be very important. The title? It will be necessary to enter the final and then everything is possible. Who can say who wins is very strong. “

Men’s lightweight with Pierre Hoyne and Hugo Bury

“This boat has shown good things during the last European Championships since winning the Final B. The goal for Pierre and Hugo is to reach the final and show himself among the boats that have not yet qualified for the games. The qualifying boat races arrive in Lucerne quickly in mid-May. You have to climb a step from The first race. “

Four without Cuxwin with Dorian Mortlett, Thibaut Verhoeven, Benoit Brunet and Benoit Demi

“They have finished fifth in the recent European Championships. It will be necessary to map their territory against the boats that are not yet qualified for the games and to approach or even climb on the platform. This boat is starting to get a little bit of experience. Hopefully it can get past the corner.”

Quadruple paddles in all classes with Benjamin Hagoynor, Bastian Quakerett, Albrick Cormieres and Charlie Rubio

“With the lightweight quad canoe, these are boats driven by Thibaud Chapelle. Four seats in all classes in the unknown. It is a boat in constant flux and we weren’t getting out of it. We said it stopped in July 2020. We have remodeled it since this winter. In February, all the rowers were affected. With Covid. We couldn’t test them on a single shovel and lack a clear hierarchy. In training, things are going well. Last year, the lightweight four-wheel drive torque was the fastest of any class. It’s not really a good sign. Today, it’s been reversed. That is encouraging. “

Quadruple with Benjamin David, Ferdinand Ludwig, Baptiste Savitt and Victor Marcelot

“An excessively young team with three under-23s. It’s the boat with the most medals. Italians, back home, would be hard to drive out, even if we really manage to do so. Men are fun to train for Thibaud Chapelle. We hope for them that it will.” Succeed. “

Lowick Feltrine

Image credit: Newspix / Icon Sport