A young woman who often stayed in the leading group but faded as the races progressed. Her fighting spirit, however, was truly inspiring. So, who is Hanna, how was her season, and how did she adapt to the Czech mentality?

Hanna Fine is a 25-year-old French athlete. She started skiing at the age of ten, mainly to spend time with her friends—but she quickly fell in love with the sport and kept going, eventually moving into competitive racing. She used to compete in traditional cross-country skiing but has focused on long-distance races for the past two years. Last year, she also participated in some skate races, which she really enjoyed, but now she is fully committed to Ski Classics.

She previously represented the French domestic Team Vercors and now races with the eD system Vltava Fund team. She lives in Autrans in the Vercors Mountains and has been coached for five years by Rémi Salacroup. They have a great relationship, and Hanna believes this is one of the reasons her form is steadily improving and everything is working well. She often trains with the Vercors team, especially with Margaux Gaillard, who is younger but also focusing on Ski Classics.

Alongside skiing, she studies industrial engineering in Grenoble. Her university is very supportive of her skiing, offering schedule flexibility and financial assistance through the Grenoble INP Foundation.

How do you rate the past season?

“This season went really well for me—I’m very happy with it. I’m not someone who makes huge leaps forward, but I think I’m steadily improving year by year, and I’m glad I could show that this season. I achieved my goals both in France and in Ski Classics, which is very satisfying. Ski Classics is a demanding series, and I think it was a good decision to occasionally race at home in France too. We now have a group of women at a similar level there, and it was important for me to be part of it and compete in some of the French long-distance races. I think next season I’ll be able to focus fully on Ski Classics.”

It was impressive how you started every Ski Classics race. In many cases, you were in the leading group of women. You weren’t afraid, and your fighting spirit was very likable, even though you fell back later in the races. Was that your strategy or more instinct?

Yes, I know it might not always be the best strategy! (laughs) But I’ve worked a lot on being able to start quickly. I know that sometimes I could probably get better results if I started slower, but I feel that if you don’t start fast, you’ll never be in the leading group—at least that’s how I see it. I tell myself that on the day when everything clicks, it could lead to a really great race. I want to learn by being up front with the best. Towards the end of the season, I tried to pace myself a bit more, but it’s still a learning process.

How were you able to survive the second half of the races? It must have been very tough?

It’s true that the second half of the races was pretty tough for me. I think I haven’t yet done enough really long training sessions, especially during summer. I also think I’m not fueling properly during the races yet, which is something I definitely need to improve. Toward the end of the season, I also struggled with wrist pain that would start around the 30 km mark, which didn’t help me finish races strongly. I hope to fix all of this for next season.

You raced most of the Ski Classics events along with a few domestic French marathons. How did you manage that?

Yes, the Ski Classics season is intense, and sometimes I did feel a bit tired. But overall, I really enjoyed it. I think racing in France suited me—it’s closer to home, so less exhausting. Also, the races there were around 30 km, which felt more manageable for me.

You raced for a Czech Pro Team this past season. How did you “survive” the different mentality and customs?

It took me a little while to get used to it because I had only been with one team before and only knew one way of doing things. But it turned out to be a really nice experience—the Czech team is full of super nice people! I received a warm welcome, and I’m really happy I became part of the team. Maybe we don’t always see timing the same way, but otherwise, everything was simple and really great.

The French love good food. Czech cuisine is very different. Did you find any Czech food you liked?

Well, I do love good food, that’s for sure! Actually, I mostly ate German-style food because Thomas Bing is the team’s chef. But if I had to pick a Czech specialty, I’d say… beer! (laughs)

Do you know your fellow Frenchman Jeremy Royer well? Is it motivating for you that a French (non-Scandinavian) athlete can be so strong in Ski Classics?

I know him very well—he’s my boyfriend. So yes, I know him quite well! (laughs)
But seriously, it’s really motivating to see a French athlete succeeding on the Ski Classics circuit. I hope he’ll reach his first podium next season!

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