2022 report: French Flop 5 by the editorial staff

Posted on January 1, 2023 at 12:00 PM – Updated on January 1, 2023 at 12:02 PM.

Sport365 Post

• N°1: Alexis Pinturault did not digest the crystal

He won the big crystal globe at the end of the 2021-2022 season, allowing him to join Jean-Claude Killy and Luc Alfand in the pantheon of French skiing. Last season, Alexis Pinturault failed to confirm. To make matters worse, the Frenchman passed the final training session as a ghost. At the finish, he finished tenth overall in the Men’s Alpine Skiing World Cup. Without even being able to “catch” in a small globe. However, from 2012 to 2021, the Habs consistently ranked in the top three in the giant slalom overall classification. This time he had to settle for fifth overall. A complicated World Cup in more ways than one, as Pinturault also failed to win any races. What about the Olympic Games? The French athlete was a medalist every time, either in Sochi in 2014, with bronze in the giant slalom, then in Pyeongchang in 2018, again with bronze in the giant slalom, as well as silver in the combined. Savoyard left Beijing with fifth place in the giant slalom, his best result this time. Also eleventh in super-G and sixteenth in slalom. Not to mention its abandonment during the combination. In a season without world championships.

• N°2: French athletes are not good at all

It was a repeat of the 2022 World Championships in Yevgeny, a year after the expected but confirmed Games fiasco, with the only (silver) medal coming from Kevin Mayer. The decathlon world record holder lifted the gold bar again, but there is nothing behind it: it is worse than in Doha in 2019, where he had two medals, and it is simply the worst record for the Blues since 1993. Observation is not like that. The same goes for Wilfrid Happio, who narrowly missed out on the podium in the 400m hurdles, and for managers Quentin Bigot (hammer) or Renaud Lavillenie (pole), who are no longer there to hang up their medals. Jimmy Vicaut is no longer at 100m, Christophe Lemaitre less so. But even hope for Happio, in police custody last week, outside of sports causes depression. The European Championship raised the bar, but it’s still happy… And none of the nine medals were gold in the absence of King Kevin Mayer, who was uncertain for a long time and quickly gave up. It is the first time since 1982 that the French team has failed to become a continental champion. As a symbol, Pascal Martinot-Lagarde – the only other performer who continued to hang – missed first place for the thousandth time in the 110 m hurdles, where even Sasha Zhoya could not confirm in the face of very high expectations. . Happio or Renelle Lamote (800m) also won a silver medal. But aside from them (and Kevin Mayer, again and again), it’s almost an exaggeration to speak of disappointment, because we don’t expect anyone anymore. A year and a half away from Paris 2024, this is not encouraging.

• #3: Fabio Quartararo fell

After a perfect 2021 that saw him win the MotoGP world title, Fabio Quartararo, a first for a Frenchman, has not achieved the same feat this season. But after his victory at the German Grand Prix in 2022, third behind Portugal and Catalunya, things seemed to be going well for “El Diablo”. Fabio Quartararo thought he could see it coming, with Aprilia and Ducati leader Francesco Bagnaia, 34 points ahead of first-place chaser Aleix Espargaro, clearly ahead and 91 points behind. However, the situation changed after the unsuccessful Dutch Grand Prix with two accidents in the race. After a difficult start to the season, Pecco finally managed to get the most out of Ducati and the Frenchman couldn’t keep up. Fabio Quartararo, riding Yamaha, who did not have much to compete with Ducati, only suffered and then had the sole ambition of delaying the deadline as much as possible. If Francesco Bagnaia’s fall in Japan gave him a boost, his zero point in Australia was the death blow. The French driver gave everything in Malaysia, as in Valencia, but failed. Fabio Quartararo gave his crown to his runner-up last year. Having extended his contract with Yamaha for two more seasons, “El Diablo” hopes that the promises of the Japanese manufacturer will be fulfilled … but the early elements leave room for doubts about the progress that the tuning fork firm can make. 2023.

• #4 Julian Alaphilippe was lucky…

If there’s anyone who’s excited to see 2023 out, it’s Julian Alaphilippe. The Habs appear in the “French flop” category, given the lackluster, underwhelming and disappointing season after the 2021 vintage marked by yellow during the defending World Championship title, Flèche Wallonne and Tour de France. No, nothing smiled on the face of the Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl rider in 2022. However, at the beginning of the season, the puncher decided to optimize his schedule to go for the win only, but nothing went as planned. And as a result, he raised his arms only twice, in the 2nd stage of the Tour of the Basque Country and in the 1st stage of the Tour de Wallonie. This year, Julian Alaphilippe was hit by a bad luck that never left him (at the same time covid, gastro …). The wind was first responsible for his fall during the Flèche Brabanchonne before his own team car (during the Strade Bianche). Confiscated for Milan – San Remo due to bronchitis, Habs then suffered a serious crash at Liège-Bastogne-Liège (the most important race of the season) which resulted in a pneumothorax, a fractured scapula and two broken ribs. Returning to the French championship, he is not in optimal condition (51st) and has not been selected for the Tour de France. Julian Alaphilippe, who joined the Vuelta to help Remko Evenepoel, crashes again and leaves the Tour of Spain with a dislocated shoulder. Freed from the rainbow jersey, the Frenchman looked to 2023 for a season that can hopefully only get better.

• N°5: Benoit Paire and Corentin Moutet, the terrible guys haven’t changed…

French tennis was discussed this year. But not always in a good way, especially for its two representatives. For example, Benoit Paire. The Avignon native started 2022 ranked 46th in the ATP rankings. He is currently 179th. Which now forces him to perform on the Challenger circuit. For those who know the 18th in the world, perhaps while waiting to return to the top. Now 33, the current 19th in the French hierarchy is more talked about than his behavior outside the sport, with his flowery expressions on the courts or in matches sent as volunteers. A year very similar to 2021 for him. Another behavior that is talked about, Corentin Moutet. The latter repeatedly made angry gestures in court. Last SeptemberThe Habs even came close to fighting rival Adrian Andreev after a meeting near Orleans. As a result, the Frenchman was simply expelled from the French Tennis Federation no later than November 1. This resulted in the loss of financial aid and the loss of a federal coach.