Sina Frei (JB Brunex Felt Team)(Image credit: Rob Jones)
Kate Courtney (Specialized Racing) wins U23 women's race(Image credit: Tour of Japan)
Start U23 Women's race(Image credit: Rob Jones)
Evie Richards (Great Britain) was the early leader(Image credit: Rob Jones)
Evie Richards went down in the rock garden while in the lead(Image credit: Rob Jones)
Malene Degn (Ghost Factory Racing)(Image credit: Rob Jones)
U23 Women's podium: Evie Richards, Kate Courtney, Sina Frei(Image credit: Tour of Japan)
American champion Kate Courtney (Specialized) took the lead of the Under-23 women's race at the opening round of the Cross-country World Cup after the start loop and never looked back.
Courtney dropped British champion Evie Richards (Trek Factory) on the first lap to win by nearly two minutes. Richards took second, with European champion Sina Frei (JB Brunex Felt) finishing third.
In Luke Tuckwell's latest column for Cyclingnews, he recalls his memorable week in France, and how he went from tears in training to his first yellow jersey