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Pauline Ferrand-Prevot first French women’s champion in 19 years

On Saturday Pauline Ferrand-Prevot continued her ascendancy in women’s cycling by becoming the first French world champion since Jeannie Longo in 1995. Ferrand-Prevot was part of a small group that four leaders allowed to come back in the final 2 km. In the junior men’s race, the German gold medal rush carried on with Jonas Bokeloh taking the sprint win.

The women’s race started with 134 riders facing seven laps of the 18.2-km course. Each lap held the Confederacion and El Mirador climbs in its back end. The field kept together for the first lap because of the high pace, with Israeli Shani Bloch being the first to try her luck on the second loop. Though Spela Kern (Slovenia) and Alison Powers (U.S.A.) both attempted solo escapes, the streamlined peloton stayed together, even with several crashes.

On the penultimate lap, Rachel Neylan (Australia) bolted on the Confederacion in the pouring rain but submitted soon after she had crested El Mirador. On the descent, an elite group of 17 separated itself from the others, and then there was a further decanting on dry roads when dangerous riders, such as Rossella Ratto (Italy) and Chantal Blaak (The Netherlands), surged ahead.

On the final lap, the race reformed with 14 km to go. The field was down to 40 women, with plenty of Dutch and Italian jerseys. The wet peaks of Confederacion and Mirador loomed large. Evelyn Stevens (U.S.A.) attacked with 12 km remaining and reigning champion Marianne Vos (The Netherlands) responded first. The attacks and counterattacks seemed continuous.

No one was able to get free on the Confederacion, but on the descent, there was a split. Dangerous Swede Emma Johansson made a big dig on the Mirador. Lizzie Armitstead (Great Britain), Vos and Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy) were able to go with her and suddenly with 4 km remaining it looked like the elite quartet would battle for the win.

Amazingly, the quartet stopped racing and let 12 others join them with 1.2 km to go. In the mad dash for the line, Ferrand-Prevot had the best legs to rip up the left side of the road. The French national road, time trial, cyclocross and mountain bike champion shed tears of joy. New world time trial champion Lisa Brennauer was silver and Johannson mounted her third world podium to slip on the bronze. Vos came 10th.

None of the four Canadians—Lex Albrecht, Leah Kirchmann, Karol-Ann Canuel and Joëlle Numainville—finished the race. Reports that followed the race indicated all four were caught up in a crash. Canuel and Kirchmann were reported to have broken bones. Albrecht is said to have suffered an injury, while Numainville did not.

In the junior men’s race, a duo, the remnants of a seven-man breakaway that formed on the last of seven laps, was swept up by a 32-man field with 150 ms to go. Jonas Bokeloh staved off Russian Alexandr Kulikovskiy at the line. Dutchman Peter Lenderink came third.

Half of the four Canadian men in the race finished. Jean-Simon D’Anjou was top Canadian at 82nd and Derek Gee placed 96th.

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