A new disappointment for the French women's speed team.
Given the urgent need to score points, the French sprinters, 9th (therefore outside the 8 qualifying places) before this competition, were the only ones to have been sent by the Federation to participate in the first round of the Cycling Nations Cup on track in Adelaide (Australia).
To boost the usual trio, Mathilde Gros, Marie-Divine Kouamé and Julie Michaux, Marie-Louisa Drouode, 18 years old, junior world champion last year, was called up for the first time.
But the French team, which had already missed the World Championships in Glasgow (9th) and recently the European Championships in Alperdoon (eliminated in the first round), again lost points in the race for Olympic qualification.
If the trio had achieved a good performance during qualifying (4th time), Mathilde Gros, Marie-Divine Kouamé and Julie Michaux lost in the 1st round against the New Zealanders (47''743 against 47''401).
Despite the efforts of Mathilde Gros, the Blues disappointed again.
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The French therefore finished 5th.
The challenge was also to do better than Poland, Mexico, Canada and New Zealand with whom they are in the fight for the Top 8. If New Zealand (3rd) and Poland (4th) are ahead of the France, Canada (6th) and Mexico (8th) finished behind.
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The results of this round of this Australian Nations Cup therefore remain mixed but are not yet completely prohibitive for Olympic qualification.
Everything will be decided during the next two rounds of the Nations Cup, Hong Kong (March 15 to 17) and Milton (Canada, April 12 to 14).
If the French sprinters fail to obtain their quotas for the Paris Olympics, they will only be entitled, at most, to one qualifier.