In experience, Audrey Cordon-Ragot (Trek-Segafredo), 33, won her second French road championship title after that of 2020, a few days after also winning the time trial title. .
She won in the sprint in the streets of Cholet, ahead of Gladys Verhulst (Le Col-Wahoo) who, an hour after the finish, was still crying with rage at having been trapped by her eldest.
Hats off @CordonRagot đź‘Źđź‘Ź
Audrey has just won the French 🇫🇷 RR Championship, realizing the dream to win both titles in the same year
Huge congrats Audrey đź‘Š pic.twitter.com/UAkdRNN8zV
— Trek-Segafredo (@TrekSegafredo) June 25, 2022
By putting on her French champion's jersey, Cordon-Ragot also knows that she has definitively validated her selection for the next Women's Tour de France where places are expensive in her team.
But it is now impossible for the American team to do without a tricolor jersey on French roads.
“I realize that I will take the start of the Champs-Elysées with this jersey, says the winner of the day.
It's like a waking dream.
I will be very applauded on the roads and I can't wait to experience that.
I will be able to approach it with emotion but also relaxed because, from now on, my season is successful.
In our team, there are girls who can aim for the general and I will go to the plank for them.
But I hope that I will have the opportunity to play my luck on a stage.
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“A few weeks ago, I could not achieve anything”
While waiting to find out if she can hit the jackpot on the Tour, Cordon-Ragot is savoring her happiness of the moment.
A double champion of France in the chrono and then on the road remains quite rare.
"Pauline Ferrand-Prévot succeeded in 2014 and, before her, I would say Jeannie (Editor's note: Longo), she explains.
At first, I gave myself a 5% chance of winning because I was without a teammate.
If I win, it's precisely because I had already been crowned in 2020. That took the pressure off me.
But that's good: at my age, I still manage to watch young people!
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Faced with Gladys Verhulst, devastated, Cordon-Ragot wanted to be reassuring and recalled that you can quickly bounce back in a season.
“A few weeks ago, I couldn't do anything.
The life of a top athlete is a lot of lows.
And, sometimes, there are a few highs that make you forget everything and erase all the bad times.
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