Eric Perrot sends positive signs before World Cup return

Eric Perrot has strengthened confidence in his preparation for the new biathlon World Cup season with a second-place finish at the City Biathlon in Dresden. The result gives last winter’s overall World Cup winner an encouraging competitive marker before the circuit resumes.

In an unusual race format, Germany’s Justus Strelow took victory after Perrot lost ground during the fifth visit to the shooting range. The Frenchman finished with 22 successful shots from 25, but recovered on the final sprint to beat a group containing Germany’s Philipp Horn and Philipp Nawrath, as well as Italy’s Lukas Hofer.

Perrot’s speed was another positive element. He had made sprinting a focus of his summer work and was pleased to see that progress reflected in Dresden, despite accumulated fatigue from travelling and a high-altitude training camp in Bessans. The performance suggested that his preparation is producing the desired gains ahead of the serious competition.

The World Cup is due to restart in Kontiolahti, Finland, in late November, in about three months. Perrot’s immediate priority is recovery after the recent camps and journeys, while maintaining the endurance base and freshness needed to continue building form into the autumn.