Pitel claims French road title in Vesoul

Edwige Pitel of Italian team SC Michela Fanini Rox claimed her second French road title almost ten years after the first one in Aurillac in 2007. The former world champion for duathlon in 2000 is a time trial specialist. Aged 49, she showed her good form against the clock on Thursday as she took the silver medal at the time trial championships behind Wiggle High5’s Audrey Cordon-Ragot, while Elise Delzenne of Lotto-Soudal was third.

Delzenne was alone again in the road race with an obvious chance of winning like in 2013 as she smartly rode away before the final two laps with 34km to go. The rain and the ascent of the difficult côte des 4 sapins (the four pine trees hill) had taken their toll. But Delzenne had a mechanical up the hill after she crossed the line with an advantage of 38 seconds over lone chaser Marjolaine Bazin of the Poitou-Charentes region, while the main chasing peloton led by Pitel ahead of race favourites Pauline Ferrand-Prévot of Rabo Liv and Cordon-Ragot was at 1:50.

It took almost a minute for Delzenne to get a back wheel change from the neutral service. Bazin had passed her when she sustained a second mechanical and needed a new front wheel. A new race started with Bazin still at the front with one lap to go (13km), followed by Aude Biannic (Poitou-Charentes Futuroscope 86) at 22 seconds, Pitel at 39 seconds.

The Ferrand-Prévot group was less than a minute behind but mouths rather than legs were doing the talking. The lack of cooperation played in favour of Pitel, who overtook Biannic and then Bazin with 7km to go to carry on and claim a solo win, while Bazin was delighted to finish second and Cordon-Ragot had to be content with third.

Fourth-placed Ferrand-Prévot expressed her mixed feelings after the finish. “It was a very tactical race," said the 2014 road race world champion who hadn’t taken part in a road race since the Dwars door Westhoek two months ago (21st) due to a sciatica.

“I’m happy to have made the main group. I didn’t have the legs at all. I’ve done the best I could. I really lack the intensity of racing. I also need to lose 2kg before the Olympics.”

French women cycling remains accessible to older athletes at the highest level. Jeannie Longo, who still races at the age of 57 and finished 13th at the French championship for time trial on Thursday had taken her last road title in 2008 at 49, the same age as Pitel now.

“I came here to train before the race and I knew I’d hold out well up the hill.” Pitel is reserved in the French national team for the Rio Games.

Full Results

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Edwige Pitel (Fra) S.C. Michela Fanini3:06:11
2Marjolaine Bazin (Fra)0:00:17
3Audrey Cordon (Fra) Wiggle High50:00:34
4Pauline Ferrand Prevot (Fra) Rabo Liv Women Cycling TeamRow 3 - Cell 2
5Elise Delzenne (Fra) Lotto Soudal LadiesRow 4 - Cell 2
6Aude Biannic (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86Row 5 - Cell 2
7Marion Sicot (Fra)Row 6 - Cell 2
8Fanny Leleu (Fra)Row 7 - Cell 2
9Lena Gerault (Fra)0:00:37
10Amélie Rivat (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.860:02:03
11Victorie Guilman (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86Row 10 - Cell 2
12Séverine Eraud (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.860:02:40
13Cyriane Muller (Fra)Row 12 - Cell 2
14Melodie Lesueur (Fra)Row 13 - Cell 2
15Charlotte Bravard (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86Row 14 - Cell 2
16Fanny Zambon (Fra)0:05:57
17Lucie Lahaye (Fra)0:09:19
18Aurélia Perry (Fra)0:12:23
19Annie Thomas (Fra)Row 18 - Cell 2
20Magdalena De Saint (Fra)Row 19 - Cell 2
21Thérésa Hoebanckx (Fra)0:14:03
22Marlène Morel Petitgirard (Fra)0:14:05
23Sylvie Riedle (Fra)Row 22 - Cell 2
24Anabelle Dreville (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.860:14:10
25Coralie Demay (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86Row 24 - Cell 2
26Roxane Fournier (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86Row 25 - Cell 2
27Greta Richioud (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86Row 26 - Cell 2
28Aodez Le Fourn (Fra)Row 27 - Cell 2
29Eugénie Duval (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86Row 28 - Cell 2
30Cécilia Le Bris (Fra)0:16:11
31Jennifer Mark (Fra)0:17:04
32Pauline Allin (Fra)Row 31 - Cell 2
33Sophie Almeida (Fra)Row 32 - Cell 2
34Morgane Coston (Fra)Row 33 - Cell 2
35Bérengère Staelens (Fra)0:18:50
36Fanny Riberot (Fra) Astana Pro TeamRow 35 - Cell 2
37Amélie Hild (Fra)Row 36 - Cell 2
38Soline Lamboley (Fra)Row 37 - Cell 2
39Gabrielle Rimasson (Fra)Row 38 - Cell 2
40Marion Bessone (Fra)Row 39 - Cell 2
41Noémie Dumas (Fra)Row 40 - Cell 2
42Aurore Verhoeven (Fra) LointekRow 41 - Cell 2
43Astrid Chazal (Fra)Row 42 - Cell 2
44Esther Eustache (Fra)Row 43 - Cell 2
45Manon Testou (Fra)Row 44 - Cell 2
46Gaëlle Carreau (Fra)Row 45 - Cell 2
47Sandrine Polizzi (Fra)Row 46 - Cell 2
48Emilie Jamme (Fra)Row 47 - Cell 2
49Elodie Dusart (Fra)Row 48 - Cell 2
50Coralie Houdin (Fra)Row 49 - Cell 2
51Pascaline Duchesne (Fra)Row 50 - Cell 2
52Loriane Ceyssat (Fra)Row 51 - Cell 2
53Noeline Delbove (Fra)Row 52 - Cell 2
54Solenne Billouin (Fra)0:23:30
55Mélanie Guedon (Fra)Row 54 - Cell 2
56Alessia Bugeia (Fra)Row 55 - Cell 2
57Tatiana Blin (Fra)Row 56 - Cell 2
58Vicky Fournial (Fra)Row 57 - Cell 2
59Alna Burato (Fra)Row 58 - Cell 2
DNFOceane Tessier (Fra)Row 59 - Cell 2
DNFEmeline Azam (Fra)Row 60 - Cell 2
DNFMarie Comet (Fra)Row 61 - Cell 2
DNFOphélie Fenart (Fra)Row 62 - Cell 2
DNFAudrey Gascon (Fra)Row 63 - Cell 2
DNFLudivine Emile Loze (Fra)Row 64 - Cell 2
DNFManon Souyris (Fra)Row 65 - Cell 2
DNFLisa Huber (Fra)Row 66 - Cell 2
DNFClémence Jolly (Fra)Row 67 - Cell 2
DNFMarine Lemarie (Fra)Row 68 - Cell 2
DNFPascale Jeuland (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86Row 69 - Cell 2
DNFPerrine Clauzel (Fra)Row 70 - Cell 2
DNFOcéanne Philibert (Fra)Row 71 - Cell 2
DNFHélène Gérard (Fra)Row 72 - Cell 2
DNFFanny Le Huitouze (Fra)Row 73 - Cell 2
DNFEléonore Saraiva (Fra)Row 74 - Cell 2
DNFSandrine Bideau (Fra)Row 75 - Cell 2
DNFEmilie Rochedy (Fra)Row 76 - Cell 2

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