Ferrand-Prevot wins French women's road race

While Jeannie Longo was surprisingly a non-starter at the age of 55, French female cycling has found a new icon with Flèche wallonne winner Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, who claimed four national titles in three days as she won the U23 and elite time trial and road race. Her solo attack of 14 kilometers in today's road race was an impressive one.

The race was broadcasted live on French television for the first time in the wake of a new promotional campaign for women cycling leading up to La Course by Le Tour de France to be contested on the Champs-Elysées in Paris prior to the last stage of the Tour de France on July 27.

"This is just wonderful," said Ferrand-Prévot. "It's one of the nicest titles. It makes me tremendously proud, especially because I'll wear the French national jersey abroad, racing for a foreign team [Rabo women]. We've offered to the spectators and TV viewers a superb race. That was very important for women's cycling. We have shown that it wasn't a bike race contested at 10km/h. But it was a short event - only 90km - and the beginning was a bit complicated for me."

Ferrand-Prévot talked like a true professional as she described her tactics. "I had to find allies as I was racing alone", she said. "I warned Audrey Cordon [of Hitec Products] when I would attack. I knew she was my main competitor, but she was also likely to be helpful. But when a break of eight riders was formed, I thought for a little while that it was game over."

With 50km to go, Mélanie Bravard, Fanny Riberot and Mélodie Lesueur (Lointek), Oriane Chaumet and Sandrine Bideau (Poitou-Charentes-Futuroscope 86), Ludivine Loze (Midi-Pyrénées), Coralie Demay (Bretagne) and Marine Strappazzon (Franche-Comté) rode away.

Ferrand-Prévot eventually launched a counter-attack with Cordon and Aude Biannic (Lointek), but she made it across by herself and dropped everyone in the hill with 14km to go.

"I didn't think too much of how many kilometers were left," she said. "I went for a short time trial to see it would go. I didn't care much about winning or not. I wanted to give everything and put on a good show. I wouldn't even have been disappointed, had I not won. Only in the last 500 metres, I had the win in mind. Until I saw mum and dad almost crying on the road side, I was very focused. I don't know if I was the strongest, but I was hyper motivated."

Having already been crowned elite French champion for cyclo-cross, she added the time trial and road titles to her credit but she also has one more race for blue-white-red jersey in sight as she'll contest the championship for mountain bike racing in mid-July - between the Giro d'Italia and La Course by Le Tour de France.

"I want to test myself in the climbs in Italy and figure out where my limits are in such a big stage race, but we will have a very good [Rabo women's] team there, and I hope that one of us will be on the final podium," said the ambitious Ferrand-Prévot.

Results

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Elite women
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Rabobank-Liv Woman Cycling Team)2:23:30
2Mélodie Lesueur (Lointek)0:01:23
3Fanny Riberot (Lointek)0:02:48
4Ludivine LozeRow 3 - Cell 2
5Sandrine Bideau (Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86)Row 4 - Cell 2
6Mélanie Bravard (Lointek)Row 5 - Cell 2
7Coralie Demay0:02:51
8Marine Strappazzon0:02:52
9Audrey Cordon (Hitec Products)0:04:42
10Elise Delzenne (Specialized-lululemon)Row 9 - Cell 2
11Roxane Fournier (Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86)Row 10 - Cell 2
12Pascale Jeuland (Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86)Row 11 - Cell 2
13Iris SachetRow 12 - Cell 2
14Marion SicotRow 13 - Cell 2
15Séverine EraudRow 14 - Cell 2
16Amelie Rivat (Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86)Row 15 - Cell 2
17Eugénie DuvalRow 16 - Cell 2
18Noëline DelboveRow 17 - Cell 2
19Emilie RochedyRow 18 - Cell 2
20Cynthia HuygensRow 19 - Cell 2
21Kelly GambierRow 20 - Cell 2
22Marion Rousse (Lotto Belisol Ladies)Row 21 - Cell 2
23Jean De Saint (Magdaléna)Row 22 - Cell 2
24Alna BuratoRow 23 - Cell 2
25Anabelle DrevilleRow 24 - Cell 2
26Marjolaine BazinRow 25 - Cell 2
27Joanne DuvalRow 26 - Cell 2
28Oriane Chaumet (Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86)Row 27 - Cell 2
29Bérengère StaelensRow 28 - Cell 2
30Nathalie JeulandRow 29 - Cell 2
31Aude Biannic (Lointek)Row 30 - Cell 2
32Sophie CreuxRow 31 - Cell 2
33Lucie Pader (Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86)Row 32 - Cell 2
34Charlotte Bravard (Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86)Row 33 - Cell 2
35Edwige Pitel (S.C. Michela Fanini Rox)Row 34 - Cell 2
36Aodez Le FournRow 35 - Cell 2
37Fanny LeleuRow 36 - Cell 2
38Sandra Levenez0:13:16
39Hélène1 Gerard0:16:21
40Loriane CeyssatRow 39 - Cell 2
41Eva ColinRow 40 - Cell 2
42Manon Souyris (Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86)Row 41 - Cell 2
43Audrey MenutRow 42 - Cell 2
44Emeline AzamRow 43 - Cell 2
45Julie BoucherRow 44 - Cell 2
46Pauline Allin0:21:49
47Jennifer MarkRow 46 - Cell 2
48Morgane CostonRow 47 - Cell 2
49Alessia Bugeia0:21:51
50Marine Quiniou0:21:52
51Sarah ThibaudRow 50 - Cell 2
52Chloë Turblin0:25:42
53Emilie GousseRow 52 - Cell 2
54Cécile DelaireRow 53 - Cell 2
55Beatrice ThomasRow 54 - Cell 2
56Stéphanie LegrandRow 55 - Cell 2
57Mélanie BriotRow 56 - Cell 2
58Segolene LeberonRow 57 - Cell 2
59Audrey PourtierRow 58 - Cell 2
60Marie-aline BeraRow 59 - Cell 2
61Eloïse Bec0:25:44
DNFOphelie FenartRow 61 - Cell 2
DNFMathilde FavreRow 62 - Cell 2
DNFManon BourdiauxRow 63 - Cell 2
DNFAurore Verhoeven (Lointek)Row 64 - Cell 2
DNFNoemie DumasRow 65 - Cell 2
DNFMarlene PetitRow 66 - Cell 2
DNFMarie CometRow 67 - Cell 2
DNFMélanie PetteRow 68 - Cell 2
DNFMargaux CadolRow 69 - Cell 2
DNFJennifer LetueRow 70 - Cell 2
DNFFleur FaureRow 71 - Cell 2
DNFCéline OndetRow 72 - Cell 2
DNFFiona Dutriaux (Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86)Row 73 - Cell 2
DNFMarine LemarieRow 74 - Cell 2
DNFPauline CanteleRow 75 - Cell 2
DNSJeannie LongoRow 76 - Cell 2

 

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