My 1st World Cup … by Jonas LAPLACE
Wednesday, March 15, 2023: departure from Montreal for the first World Cup stage of the year, and my very first time competing at this level! It's a long journey: two layovers via New York and São Paulo before landing in Rio, followed by a 7-hour overnight drive with coach Erwan (DIDRICHE) to finally reach Castelo.
We kicked off with a rest day on Friday, a practice task on Saturday, and launched into Task 1 on Sunday! On paper, this PWC didn't look exceptionally intimidating, but all six tasks proved me entirely wrong! Numerous pilots were pulling the lead gaggle relentlessly forward, pushing low along the optimal race line. It was an extremely aggressive flying style tailored perfectly to Castelo's unique conditions: flatland flying under cloudless blue skies, short thermal cycles, and tight lines that demanded flawless execution to stay in contention.
Each task saw roughly 80% of the field reach goal within a tight window. The math was simple: to have any chance at a top-50 overall finish, I needed to score at least 950 points per task! For instance, on the 77 km first task across the flats under brilliant sunshine, I prioritized making goal for my first-ever PWC task. I avoided risky breaks and focused on holding pace with the lead gaggle. But with such rapid thermal cycles, the slightest mistake proved costly! By securing goal 15 minutes behind the winner, I placed 77th with 890 points.
For Task 4 (81 km), I decided to adopt the tactical style that had proven so successful across the opening days: pushing to the front and attacking with the leaders, even if it meant flying perpetually low. It's a demanding style because you're scraping terrain, hoping to hook into fresh thermals down low to break the tactical control of pilots hovering conservatively above. I executed this plan well throughout the first half, but 15 km from goal, Erwan and I broke away on an aggressive push along the course line. The gaggle stayed back… That breakaway proved mistimed on that day in a valley poorly suited for low saves, leaving me grounded 9 km short of ESS. Huge frustration initially, but through in-depth tracklog reviews and debriefs with other pilots, I pinpointed my tactical errors and gained tremendous insight. Ultimately, an invaluable lesson!
I didn't have major apprehensions entering my first World Cup; my goals were simply to learn as much as possible, sharpen my racing strategy and tactical decision-making, and enjoy soaring through these stunning landscapes. Looking back, every single one of those objectives was achieved.
Sadly, a serious accident cast a shadow over the competition, reminding all pilots of our vulnerability in this sport. Our warmest thoughts go out to Dan…
With 4 tasks completed out of 6 (ranging from 80 to 105 km), I finished 105th overall. While the headline result wasn't stellar, the strategic and tactical lessons learned were immense. Now it's time to build on this foundation heading into the next PWC in Pegalajar, Spain, this coming May.
