Cloé Pagnier, a cross-country skier from Doubs, won the 12 km skate individual event at the 2026 French summer cross-country skiing championships in Le Bessat (Loire), earning her first senior national gold medal. In an interview with Nordic Magazine, Pagnier praised the course, calling it "beautiful and relatively demanding" with a notable downhill section and challenging hills. She credited her win to maintaining a consistent effort throughout the race, a result of a training cycle that included altitude training in Font-Romeu with the French team. This approach helped her build endurance and power, which were critical in securing the victory. Pagnier also competed in the classic sprint event, where she finished twentieth. While she acknowledged that the race did not play to her strengths, she viewed it as a valuable training opportunity. "It was a stepping stone and not a final destination," she said, emphasizing the importance of learning from other competitors and using the experience to refine her skills. She also mentioned that the weekend provided her with motivation and inspiration to continue her preparations for the upcoming season. In addition to her skiing, Pagnier has been incorporating trail running into her training regimen to improve her overall fitness and endurance. She expressed satisfaction with her pre-season preparation and emphasized her passion for cross-country skiing, while also seeking balance by engaging in other sports she enjoys. Looking ahead, she identified improving her push — the explosive movement used in skating — as a key area for development. She noted that international competitors are becoming increasingly powerful, and she aims to keep pace with them in the final stretches of races. To strengthen her performance, Pagnier plans to undertake another block of altitude training before winter. This will include a short week in a hypoxic chamber in Prémanon to help her acclimate to the conditions in Bessans. This strategy will allow her to start intense cross-country skiing sessions quickly and include heat training reminders before the season begins. She also expressed that the growing popularity of biathlon, which combines cross-country skiing with shooting, has not worried her. Instead, she sees it as beneficial, as it has helped increase media coverage and funding for cross-country skiing.