Mélodie Lesueur takes French title

20 year-old Mélodie Lesueur won the women's French national road race title with a solo attack that left surprised her rivals and stopped Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli taking another time trial and road race double.

Lesueur attacked mid-race with Nadia Triquet-Claude of the strong Vienne-Futuroscope team, blocking the chase behind. But Lesueur then dropped Triquet-Claude on the rolling hills and soloed to victory.

Amélie Rivat (Rhône-Alpes), also just 20, finished 1:55 behind Lesueur, with Longo-Ciprelli taking the bunch sprint for third. At 51, Longo-Ciprelli is older than the two young riders put together.

"At first I thought about waiting for Nadia but I decided to focus on my race. On the last two laps I had cramp everywhere," Lesueur told l'Equipe.fr.

"The opportunists won today," Longo-Ciprelli said, admitting that the bunch an big names of French cycling failed to organise their chase soon enough.