Cycling: Loana Lecomte European champion in front of Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, French double

The Haut-Savoyard took advantage of a mechanical incident by Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, called “PFP”, alone in the lead in the mud of Olympiapark after a third party, to fly to victory at 23 years.

Le Monde with AFP

Great hope of French mountain biking, Loana Lecomte won her first big title on Saturday August 20 at 23 by being crowned European cross-country champion in pouring rain in Munich in front of Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, for a French double .

The Haut-Savoyard took advantage of a mechanical incident by Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, called “PFP”, alone in the lead in the mud of the Olympiapark after a third party, to fly to victory. The vice-champion of the Dutch world Anne Terpstra completes the podium, more than two minutes from the second of the two French women, ultra-dominating a week before their home Worlds at Gets.

from left to right, French Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, second, French Loana Lecomte, first, and Dutch Anne Terpstra, third, pose with their medals after the final of the women’s mountain biking of the European championships in Munich, Germany, Saturday August 20, 2022. Georgios Kefalas/Ap

sixth at the Tokyo Olympic Games which she was One of the favorites, Loana Lecomte had rebounded Japanese disillusionment by signing two successes in the World Cup this season in Leogang in June, then in Lenzerheide in July.

This continental title in the face of the three Swiss Olympic medalists (4 e , 7

e and 9 e Saturday) promises for the world champion Hopes 2020 before his first World Cups in the elite next Sunday where his biggest opponent promises to be Pauline Ferrand-Prévot.

a gap of thirty seconds

After a transparent season, made “complicated”, in his words, by the disappointment of the games and the cohabitation in the team of his ex-companion Julien Absalon, here is a return to the top of his form.

Admittedly, the 30 -year -old mountain biker did not succeed in the European championships, of which she was double the title holder. But the triple world mountain bike champion cross-country (2015, 2019 and 2020) seemed the strongest in Bavaria.

After distorted a company in Lecomte, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot quickly dug a gap of thirty seconds. Mattress more than dilapidated in the middle of the third of the seven laps of the circuit when she lost more than a minute to replace her muddy chain which had jumped.

Second at 37 seconds on arrival, PFP can claim a fourth world cross-country title next week. She would then match the Norwegian record Gunn-Rita Dahle (2002, 2004, 2005, 2006).