Ruka World Cup Sprint Event Without French Star

French sprint specialist Lucas Chanavat will not compete in this weekend’s World Cup events in Ruka. In September, Chanavat was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his tibia, a setback that has disrupted his preparation for the Olympic season.

Chanavat has finished among the top three in the sprint World Cup standings in each of the past four years and is one of the few athletes capable of challenging the dominant Norwegian team. He has collected 21 World Cup podiums and four victories over his career.

The French Ski Federation (FFS) announced its 10-athlete roster for Ruka on Monday, with Chanavat notably absent. He also skipped last weekend’s Beitosprinten races, where many of France’s other national-team stars were in action.

The Ruka World Cup weekend begins on Friday with a 10 km classic interval start, continues on Saturday with classic sprints, and concludes on Sunday with a 20 km freestyle mass start.

See also: Ruka World Cup 2025 - Schedule & timetables

France team for the Ruka Nordic cross-country skiing World Cup 2025