Coupe de France N1 aux Roches du Diable
After a long wait, the Devil’s Rocks welcomed such a field of athletes for the first time in six years. The last time was in March 2020, when Nicolas Gestin, then only 20 years old, triumphed at home. Now, with an Olympic and World Championship title under his belt, the local hero brought the cup back home. By easily winning on Saturday, and actively advocating for the location to host the first round of the 2026 French Cup. “He really put in the effort to support the cause,” says Corentin Menou, President of the Brittany Canoe-Kayak Committee. The interested party, with a big smile, could not hide his satisfaction after a successful day: “I am super satisfied, whether on the water or on land just sailing here. It’s great to reconnect with national races at the Rocks. We have a great water level for organizing the competition, and we’re making the most of it.”
A natural basin that gets unanimous approval
Beyond being a symbolic Breton site for the sport, the Devil’s Rocks, located on the border between Finistère and Morbihan, are one of the last competitions held on a natural basin, as most stages of the French Cup take place on artificial basins: “We’re not used to it anymore,” says Rennaise Camille Prigent, who had just returned from La Réunion but wouldn’t have missed the event for anything: “I hesitated to participate in this first round of N1 because I just returned from an intensive training camp. But at the Devil’s Rocks, we feel at home, it’s nice to come back to where I learned to boat.” Almost finishing second in her final, Saturday, nothing could wipe the smile off the Breton woman’s face after the competition: “It was so cool, I had a blast on the water. For a major competition, a natural basin is more challenging because the water flow is strong. But it’s refreshing to go back to basics.”
We’re going back to the origin of our sport
With a natural basin comes currents, and there were plenty on Saturday, given the record-breaking rainfall in Brittany over the past few months: “It’s a more demanding basin with difficult water movements, the competitors are also looking for that,” poses Corentin Menou.
The Olympic champion agrees: “We’re going back to the origin of our sport. For most of us, that’s what made us love canoeing: sailing on rivers, exploring… It’s always more engaging to be in a natural setting, with rocks, a strong water flow, than in artificial basins where everything is tightly regulated,” Gestin adds. “It requires a lot in terms of organization and safety, but with this water level, we’re really doing well. First and foremost, in terms of fun on the water, at least for me, but I also see a lot of smiles on the shore.”
An Olympic runner-up not successful
While Breton canoeists and kayakers were familiar with the Devil’s Rocks, it was not necessarily the case for foreign athletes. Starting with Adam Burgees, the Olympic runner-up at the Paris 2024 Olympics just after Nicolas Gestin: “He told me it had been ten years since he had navigated on a natural river,” reveals his rival.
On the contrary, others seemed particularly comfortable on the Ellé. For example, Slovenian Alja Kozorog won the Saturday round in the ladies’ canoe event. “I think her week of training went well,” smiles Nicolas Gestin, adding, “The Slovenians still navigate a lot on natural rivers. When they came to train during the week, we quickly saw they were very comfortable without any worries, they know this environment.”
Given the success of the event, could the Devil’s Rocks continue to host a round of the French Cup? “We will push for this event to become a regular occurrence,” admits Corentin Menou. Nicolas Gestin, in line with his character, is cautious and rational: “The idea is not that only the Devil’s Rocks host a round of the French Cup; other sites in France can do it. The goal is to reconnect with natural environments. That’s why I advocate with the French federation, but also internationally, where I try to spread the word.”
