After a fourth place in the mass start in Obihiro and a bronze medal in the same event in Beijing two weeks ago, the logical continuation was respected for Valérie Maltais, Friday, at the Long Track Speed Skating World Cup from Stavanger, Norway.
The Quebecer was the second to cross the finish line in the mass start, winning her second medal of the season in the discipline.
Patient in the first five laps, Maltais seized the opportunity to attack after the first intermediate sprint alongside the Dutchwoman Irene Schouten and the American Mia Kilburg-Manganello.
The leading trio then forged a comfortable lead in the following laps while their compatriots controlled traffic in the peloton.
“At the start of the race I wanted to break away after the first sprint and everything fell into place. The Dutch girl left at the same time as me and we joined the American girl. We controlled the breakaway well and our teammates managed well in the peloton. We raced to the finish line,” explained Maltais.
The final sprint was launched when Maltais, Schouten and Kilburg-Manganello found themselves at the back of the peloton, before a lap in advance. The Dutchwoman managed to pull away to win the event while Maltais followed, 0.94 seconds behind.
“Irene started the sprint with one lap to go and when I saw the peloton in front, I admit that I had a doubt. I didn’t really know what to do, I didn’t know if I should overtake the peloton. Nobody reacted, I had to go through the outside and it was a bit complicated in the end,” she added.
This is the second silver medal of Maltais’ career in the mass start, she who also finished on the second step of the podium at the World Cup in Tomaszow-Mazowiecki, in Poland, last February.
“We really hope it’s a gold medal next! Of course, that’s what I’m working for and that’s what I want. I’m gaining confidence in the mass start this year, I’m learning to react to the right moments. A gold medal next week would be awesome! » concluded Maltais.
Antoine Gélinas-Beaulieu was also in action in the men’s mass start. The skater from Sherbrooke finished in 14th place, 2.09 seconds behind the winner.
While the members of the breakaway were well ahead in the final laps of the race, Gélinas-Beaulieu actively participated in the peloton’s return to the leaders. The Dutchman Marcel Bosker, however, managed to resist to complete his day with the gold medal.
As for him, Laurent Dubreuil finished 18th in the 1000m, just behind his compatriots Connor Howe (16th) and Vincent De Haître (17th).
The Quebecer got off to a fast start with a time of 16.2 seconds in the first 200 meters, the second-fastest start of the day. However, things got tough for Dubreuil in the last 400 meters of the race with a lap of 28.6 seconds. He crossed the finish line in 1 minute 10.37 seconds.
“My start was good, but it ended there. I feel explosive, which is good for my 500m races. On the other hand, I don’t have the necessary shape to run a good 1000m at the moment. I can skate a little better, but it will only make small differences. I have to make changes in training and I will be able to work on that during the holiday season,” noted Dubreuil.
For her part, Béatrice Lamarche took eighth place in the 1000m in group B at the very start of the day. A relatively satisfactory result for the 25-year-old skater.
“It’s a result that’s quite similar to what I’ve been doing since the start of the season. I had good feelings, even if the conditions are not very fast here in Norway. It prepares me for the 1500m tomorrow which will be my last race of the weekend,” she explained.
The action resumes on Saturday in Stavanger with the 500, 1500 and 10,000m events on the programme.
