She is one of the serious outsiders of the Diagonale des Fous 2022 (ultra-trail of 165 km and more than 10,000 m of elevation gain), the start of which will be given this Thursday, October 20. Fourth last year in Reunion, the French Sylvaine Cussot, member of the Asics team, gave herself up to CNEWS before competing for one of her goals for the trail season.
How do you feel physically before competing in this Diagonale des Fous?
All lights are green. I can’t wait to be there, it’s a race that I checked off. Mentally and physically, I feel ready. I had remained in a form of frustration following my Diagonale des Fous last year where I had fallen and injured myself (rib and fibula), after a great start until Marla alongside the future winner . I was much more in pain than in pleasure. So I’m leaving with revenge.
How did moving to Reunion in January 2021 change the way you train?
I had come to a point in my life where I needed to take a break and clear my mind. I ended up moving to Reunion: it’s an island that makes anyone dream, and which is also an ideal playground for sports enthusiasts. I left to stay three or four months but I never left! Training on a daily basis here is a plus, it allows me to regularly experience the very special technical trails of Reunion. I understand them better now. It gives me more self-confidence, I can more easily put into perspective the “inaccessible” side of the Diagonale des Fous. The other side of the coin is that now I know I’m more expected and that I
How do you view the doping rumors that are agitating the world of trail running?
As long as the premiums remain relatively low, I think we will remain more or less spared. But if money starts to occupy a growing place in the world of trail running, what will happen then? We saw it recently on the Sierre-Zinal trail, where the bonuses are a little higher than in the rest of the races, with the positive control of the winner, Kenyan Mark Kangogo. There are already controls that are carried out on a large part of the ultra-trails, but we can do even better. For me, doping starts with taking Doliprane or Efferalgan as soon as persistent pain occurs during the race. This is a common and authorized practice, but it shocks me.
