The first round was expensive. After several problems in the first minutes of the race, Antoine Hobby got back on track, returning to the Fayetteville Cyclocross World Championship. Not enough, however, to enter the top 10 (see ranking). “It’s a mixed feeling. I had a great race, there’s nothing to say about my physical performance. I prepared for this race. I was prepared or else I wouldn’t have been able to do what I’m doing. But I was coming in to do better than the eleventh…”, sorry. Especially since the course was compatible with the driver, he is. “The circuit suits me well. We can drive fast on this circuit, it was like a road race, and there was a strategy”.

While climbing comfortably on the asphalt, take advantage of the long bump of the track to grab places. “The big climb, very strong, matches my qualities. But this fall…I fell down the little hills, on the first lap. The Belgian got me inside. I start at the front. Then the Swiss falls in front of me I’m late and I can’t avoid. I fell twice in ten seconds. At that moment he loses the race…”. Having landed away from the Belgian-Dutch battle, it was only left for him to conserve his potential. “We’re not saying much to each other at the time, you have to keep your focus. It’s the World Cup… up front, it can be seen. I’ve focused on my efforts to get back as quickly as possible.”.

“I don’t fight for this”

However, Antoine Hobby has shown that he has a good place in his legs. “I didn’t just want to be in good shape on paper, but to show it on D-Day. My goal was the podium and we always have the jersey in mind. If we don’t dream about it, it’s not worth it. It was hard to do the first five competitions without Accidents. I was going to fight to get there. There, I tried to come back to finish the match in the best possible place. That’s how it is, that’s the game.”. The typical Cross Team Legendre rider would rather not think about his race without incident. “We can race again but tonight I’m 11 years old^e“, he regrets.

Recently 7^e At a Flamanville in its class, Espoir 3 was hoping it would be better than failing to make it into the top ten in the US. “With my form and the track all the stars could align, but maybe one was missing…it’s still 11th but I’m not fighting for it. We make sacrifices all year long”. But in closing, the former French champion prefers to set the record straight and see the positive side of his day. “I wanted to come back without regrets, and today I have no regrets. I gave everything I had. I can’t blame myself”.