The selection for the French freestyle kayak team will be played in Millau this Saturday

Les conditions dans le Tarn à Millau sont propices à l'entraînement. Midi libre – Maxime Cohen

Some residents of the MJC Millau kayak club will be in the running for selection for the French team, this Saturday, at the Eaux Vives stadium.

The teams from the City of Millau are hard at work restoring the whitewater stadium. They have a lot to do since on Saturday, the French elite of freestyle kayaking will be on the Millau wave to try to win a selection for the French team. 

There will be action from 9 a.m., the start time of qualifying, on the top of the whitewater stadium. "For the moment, we have 50 registered and there will be a maximum of 20 places to take, all categories combined", explains Thomas Richard, who has numerous capes in the French team.

Chances among the Millavois

Among the locals, who will be able to claim to wear the tricolor tunic during the next national events, Lucien Schreiber, returned from Ireland. In the city of the glove, Thomas Richard who counts "well show what wood I heat myself with", smiles- he, as well as a new Millavois, Tom Dollé. "This selection will allow you to participate in the World Cup which will take place at the end of May in Germany and in the European Championships, in August, in Austria& quot;, says the kayaker.

Optimal conditions

This is not the first time that the Millau whitewater stadium has hosted this selection. Already in 2012, 2014 and 2019, the selectors had made their choice on this wave. "Last time we also had a flood which forced us to postpone the competition one day, remembers Thomas Richard. By Saturday, the water should have dropped and the teams will be able to open the valve." In the meantime, fans of figures facing the course of the river will benefit from the natural waves, as long as the level of the Tarn allows it.