Francis Mourey and Pauline Ferrand Prevot win Challenge La France round 2011- Cycling Update
FDJ Team’s Francis Mourey showed splendid ability and won the second straight Challenge La France round 2011 on November 20. The 30-year-old French professional Cyclo-cross rider took a total of 1 hour, 2 minutes and 49 seconds to cover the distance of the race.
Previously, Mourey won the Under 23 Cyclo-cross Championships in 2001 and 2003, along with winning the first stage of Route du Sud in 2004.
He took France Cyclo-cross Championship in 2005, 2007 and 2008. He displayed his skills in World Cyclo-Cross championship by bagging the third place in 2006.
He easily beat Matthieu Boulo of Roubaix Lille Metropole in the last kilometres by 14 seconds, while John Gadret of AG2R La Mondiale finished third with a difference of 21 seconds.
Aurelien Duval of U.V.Aube displayed his abilities well but was unable to hold his pace and landed in the fourth place with a difference of 24 seconds, ahead of Guillaume Perrot (E.C. St Etienne – Loire) and Nicolas Bazin (Team Big Mat-Auber 93).
Amicale Cycliste Bisontin Team’s Jérome Chevallier also tried his luck until the last kilometres but failed and secured the seventh place, 52 seconds adrift.
Romain Lejeune (U.V.Aube), Clément Bourgoin (Charvieu Chavagneux I.C.) and Thibault Taboury (V.C. Vaulx En Velin) were in the eighth, ninth and tenth place, respectively.
Five cyclists did not finish the stage, including, Arnaud Fiol (a*s Sportive Quillanaise), Clement Cid (V.C. La Souterraine) and Fabien Marillaud (Parisis A.C. 95).
In the women’s category, Pauline Ferrand Prevot of A C Bazancourt Reims demonstrated her superb abilities and won the La France round with a timing of 40 minutes and 36 seconds.
Cyclo-cross and mountain biker, Pauline won three World champion titles and also took the European championship.
Recently, she earned the bronze medal in the European championships and grabbed the eighth position in the World Championships Cyclo-cross.
Beziers-Mediterranee Cycle rider, Christel Ferrier-Bruneau failed to catch Prevot and ended up in second place, with 1 minute and 16 seconds down to Pauline.
Marlène Morel Petitgirard (V.C.C. Morteau Montbenoit) finished third with a difference of 2 minutes and 9 seconds ahead of Marlene Petit (CR Rhone Alpes).
Laura Joubert of Annecy Cyclisme Competition was in a good form and tried to catch the leading cyclists but she was unsuccessful in gaining pace.
She secured the fifth place with a difference of 3 minutes and 33 seconds ahead of Julie Boucher (Montrichard Cyclisme 41).
St Jean de Monts Vendee Cyclisme rider, Christine Delapre exhibited a relatively poor effort throughout the stage and took the 29th place with a difference of 8 minutes and 6 seconds.
Only one cyclist Christina Seiller of AC Brevinois did not finish the stage. Regardless of the results, the race was challenging and all the riders fought brilliantly.
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