Ferrand Prevot finally gets gold

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Pauline Ferrand Prevot won the Junior World Road Championship in Offida, Italy. The Frenchwoman beat Rossella Ratto (Italy) and Coryn Rivera (United States) in a sprint finish to take the rainbow jersey, ending a sequence of silver medals at the World Championships.

Second in last year’s road race and time trial, Ferrand Prevot was also the runner-up in Friday’s time trial, but she was determined to make amends this time around. “It was time, although I was terrified that I would come second again,” she said. Remarkably, the French rider was also a double silver medallist at the European Championships.

Ferrand Prevot rode a canny race, and took full advantage of the strength of the home nation’s line-up. “The Italians were great, they controlled the race. I tried to use as little energy as possible and save myself for the sprint. It went well,” she said.

Home favourite Ratto was fancied in the finale, especially due to the hard work of her teammate Susanna Zorzi in the last two laps. Zorzi’s solo attack allowed Ratto to save her legs, but she had to be content with second place. “I’m not disappointed at all because a place on the podium at the World Championships is still a great result. I want to dedicate this medal to my teammates, because they set an infernal pace during the early laps, whittling down the bunch and giving me a chance.”