Rookie Romain Pratel Wins CSWC France

A castle outside of Nice. What else could possible have been the setting for the French qualification round of the Cigar Smoking World Championship? The competition drew participants from all over the country and the excitement was palpable as the reigning champion, Mathieu Ginglinger, took an early lead.

“Mathieu’s experience and skill were evident as he maintained his position at the forefront of the competition for most of the day,” CSWC founder Marko Bilic says. “However, the event took an unexpected turn.”

In 2023 Ginglinger was a rookie, and this year he was going to be bested by another newcomer, Romain Pratel.

“Romain displayed remarkable focus and patience, and in the final moments his determination paid off, allowing him to overtake Mathieu and claim the coveted title,” Bilic continues.

Pratel came in at 1 hour 35 minutes and 13 seconds, while Ginglinger failed to reach the same heights as the year before. 1 hour 26 minutes and 28 seconds was 35 minutes shorter than his winning time in 2023. Edouard Schmitz secured a commendable third place at 1 hour 19 minutes and 45 seconds.

“In summary, the CSWC France qualifier was a day filled with elegance, fierce competition, and celebration,” Bilic concludes. “As Romain takes on the mantle of French champion, the anticipation builds for what next year’s competition will bring.”

Worth noticing is that last year’s runner-up Oliver Steinhäuser would’ve crushed all competition had he participated in the French qualifier instead of the German, where he came in second after the seemingly unbeatable Hauke Walter, at 2 hours 29 minutes and 26 seconds.

1. Romain Pratel 1:35:13
2. Mathieu Ginglinger 1:26:28
3. Edouard Schmitz 1:19:45