Leogang (Austria) (AFP)
Frenchman Jordan Sarrou clinched his first cross-country mountain bike world champion title by winning the elite race on Saturday on the muddy and slippery Leogang course near Salzburg in the Austrian Alps.
For France, this is the third title of the day, since Pauline Ferrand-Prévot took away her third world trophy at the start of the elite afternoon and Loana Lecomte became world champion hopes (under 23) in end of the mornng.
At 27, Sarrou is the first Frenchman since 2014 and Julien Absalon - double Olympic champion in Athens-2004 and Beijing-2008 - to wear the rainbow jersey of world champion in the specialty.
The Auvergnat edged the Swiss Mathias Flückiger by just under a minute, resisting the return of the 2019 vice-world champion in the last two laps.
Another Frenchman, Titouan Carod, completed the podium in third place.
"The plan was to start fast. I rode at my own pace and I was very focused on my race. I can't believe it, I'm in a dream, I'm a world champion!", Commented Sarrou, 2014 vice-world champion in Hafjell (Norway).
"It was a crazy race and conditions that I love. It's really huge what I did, I'm really proud", he added, thanking his family, his team, his trainer and its federation.
He signed his first elite victory at the best time.
In the past, he participated in the four French mixed relays titled at the Worlds in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2020, three days ago in Leogang.
This is the first time since 2012 that the title of world champion has not been held neither by the Swiss Nino Schurter (34), eight-time world champion but only 9th Saturday (+2: 33) in Austria, nor by Absalon, five-time world champion and retired from the circuit since 2018.
© 2020 AFP