French Federation claims 100 cycling medals for 2008

By Jean-François Quénet

France's cycling Federation, FFC, issued a statement regarding the record achievement of its member's earning 100 medals across all disciplines of cycling in 2008. The count includes medals on the road, MTB, BMX and track but excludes the masters' category. The total count is comprised of 6 medals at the Olympics, 44 at world championships and 50 at European championships.

"The number of medals shows a constant improvement," read an FFC statement referring to the past four years of French cycling (66 medals in 2004, 65 in 2005, 56 in 2006 and 74 in 2007). The flag-bearer of French cycling remains Julien Absalon who became the Olympic champion for mountain-biking for the second time in a row after claiming four world titles between Athens and Beijing.

With 6 Olympic medals (silver in the track team sprint with Grégory Baugé, Kevin Sireau and Arnaud Tournant, and bronze in the individual sprint with Mickaël Bourgain; BMX 1st and 2nd by Anne-Caroline Chausson and Laëtitia Le Corguillé finishing and two in mountain biking with Jean-Christophe Péraud taking the silver behind Absalon), cycling is ranked as the number one sport in the French Olympic movement.