Hugo Lapalus earns podium for France with third place in 20 km Davos

Hugo Lapalus has brought home another podium finish for the French team after securing third place in the individual 20 km event in Davos, Switzerland. After Lucas Chanavat's second place in the sprint race on Saturday, Lapalus's performance added to a strong showing by the French team in this World Cup event.

In a competition dominated by Scandinavian skiers, Lapalus managed a solid race, finishing behind Norway’s Martin Loewstroem Nyenget and Finland’s Livo Niskanen, the 15 km classic Olympic champion from the Beijing 2022 Games.

With high expectations and the support of his fan club, the "Team Farté," who were present in Switzerland, Lapalus started strongly, competing with some of the best in the field. While he lost some time on the flatter sections, he made a strong finish, achieving the first podium of his career in this event format. This follows his earlier third place finish in the Alpe Cermis climb during the Tour de Ski earlier this year.

According to Alexandre Rousselet, the national team's head coach, these podiums are crucial for the team to regain their confidence after a challenging start to the season. The team had previously achieved 17 podium finishes last year with six different athletes, demonstrating the depth of talent and potential within the squad.