'Maybe the hardest race of the year' - Amandine Fouquenet handles unusual heat at Benidorm World Cup to finish third

A week after losing her French national champion's jersey, Amandine Fouquenet (Pauwels Sauzen - Altez Industriebouw) returned to the cyclo-cross World Cup podium with a third place in Benidorm.

The 24-year-old lost her tricolour jersey last weekend to Célia Gery (AS Bike Racing - France Literie) and then had to beat her younger rival in an uphill sprint for the final podium spot in Spain.

Fouquenet was the final rider able to hold the wheel of World Cup leader Lucinda Brand (Baloise Verzekeringen - Het Poetsbureau Lions) at the midway point.

However, the technical skills in the sandpit and power of the Dutch woman were too much as Brand rode away to take a clear win.

Fouquenet was joined in the podium battle by Ceylin Del Carmen Alvarado (Fenix - Premier Tech) and Gery.

A blistering final lap attack by Alvarado was enough for second and Fouquenet just held off the new French national champion Gery for third in an uphill finish.

After a Christmas block of racing in freezing temperatures in Belgium and the Netherlands, the warmer temperatures in Benidorm came as a shock to the system of cyclo-cross competitors.

“It was really hard,” said Fouquenet. “I think it was, maybe, the hardest race of the year for me.

“It was really hot for a cyclo-cross, so getting back in it with this heat is a little hard. The last races were colder, when it’s hard and hot like this, it’s difficult.”

Benidorm hosted a round of the cyclo-cross World Cup for a third year, and organisers have submitted a proposal to host the cyclo-cross World Championships in 2031.

The redesigned course now includes an uphill start and finish straight on asphalt, which made for a gruelling end to the podium battle.

“It hurt me a lot,” added Fouquenet. “I think we were really all suffering and a finish like that is really hard.”

Fouquenet continues to search for a first World Cup victory, following a breakout season which has included five podium positions.

The Pauwels Sauzen - Altez Industriebouw rider is undeterred about chasing a somewhat elusive victory as Brand continues to dominate the series.

She added: “If I didn’t come here for the win then I’d have lost before I came here. It’s a goal, but a podium is good.”

Fouquenet was favourite to win a third French national title last weekend but suffered in technical conditions and conceded the jersey to youngster Gery.

Afterwards, she spoke about the mental side of racing. She told Direct Velo “I'm well supported, I work with a mental trainer, so if I have a problem, I'll talk to her about it, but I don't think I need to.

“I've had four [now five - Ed.] World Cup podiums and I've had two wins this season (at Gullegem and Heusden-Zolder), so I'm not going to keep on taking second places. There are still some great races to come. I'm a competitor.”

Standout performances in the cyclo-cross field attracted sponsor Pauwels Sauzen - Altez Industriebouw to give the French woman a contract at the last minute, following the collapse of Arkéa - B&B Hotels Women.

Fouquenet plans to move to Belgium for six months this year to focus on her technical skills with her new team.

Following last week’s French national championships, she added “I feel very good.

“I’m very happy to be part of this team and to see the confidence they have in me. I hope to show them that even without a (French national) jersey, they were right to choose me.

“I'm going to learn a lot from them, but I think I can also bring something to them.

“I'll go and live there for six months. Every Wednesday, I'll have training sessions on my technical skills, and that will be a good thing to progress.”