Frenchwoman Pauline Ferrand-Prévot wrote mountain biking history by winning a fifth world title on Saturday August 12th. One year from the Games, she is consolidating her status as favorite, for the only competition that still resists her.
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Pauline Ferrand-Prévot became the most successful world champion in cross-country mountain biking history on Saturday August 12 in Scotland, to cement her status as the favorite at the Paris Olympics in a year. Defending champion, the 31-year-old Rémoise flew over the race in the Glentress forest and won ahead of another Frenchwoman, Loana Lecomte, thus winning her fifth world title in this Olympic discipline.
🇬🇧🥇 Words are no longer enough, images speak for themselves… Pauline Ferrand-Prévot is once again crowned world champion in the Olympic format race! One more line to add to his huge list ⬇️
— francetvsport (@francetvsport) August 12, 2023
It is also the first gold medal for France in an event on the program of the 2024 Olympic Games during these “Super Worlds” in Glasgow bringing together thirteen cycling disciplines.
” Last year, I didn’t even know I was going to tie the record. Today, I thought it would be good to beat him. Keeping the same wardrobe for another year is really great said Pauline Ferrand-Prévot after donning a new rainbow jersey, the fifteenth of her career in total, taking into account all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, gravel and cyclo -cross.
I was on a metronome, I was on a mission
After having ” completely messed up » his departure, « PFP » took control from the second of the seven laps, overtaking Lecomte, who started in the lead, for a long rider in the Scottish undergrowth, under a gray and humid sky. ” I was a metronome today, I was on a mission “, she summarized.
” Pauline, I have lost count of her titlesreacted Yvan Claulus, the coach of the Blues. She’s not necessarily an amazing mountain bike rider. She doesn’t pass things on the circuit that juniors pass. But she is an incredible athlete. I especially remember that they have shown that they can both do it. The sequel can be fun. »
And the rest is obviously the Paris Olympics
Already titled Thursday in short-track, “PFP” is a living legend of women’s cycling. She has won everything on all grounds. But for the moment, she has always been cursed at the Olympics: 26th in London in 2012, she had given up four years later in Rio, before finishing only 10th in Tokyo.
” This title is one step among others in this quest for Olympic gold, she pointed out. It is not because I am world champion today that I am going to be Olympic champion. But I know I can do even better. Accustomed to working alone, she made a major change this winter by becoming the first woman to join the British team Ineos, alongside road stars Tom Pidcock, Egan Bernal or Geraint Thomas.
” Since I joined this team, I have the impression of being understood. We worked a lotshe says. In January, Pinarello (his bike supplier) didn’t even have a mountain bike. In three months, they managed to make two bikes that work very well. It’s so professional, it suits me so much. »
However, she was not necessarily aware of entering a little more into the history of her sport: “ I don’t know. In fact, I’m just really doing what I love to do. Being someone or something does not interest me. I love my life and that’s also why I performed so well today. »