Paris (AFP)

A box full in Leogang?

The French, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot in the lead, approach with great ambitions the cross-country event of the 2020 Mountain Bike Worlds, Saturday, in the Austrian resort.

Eight years after Julie Bresset's success at Leogang, the "Bleues" started off as favorites following the momentum of the first two World Cup races, three days apart at Nove Mesto in the Czech Republic.

Loana Lecomte won the first, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot the second last Sunday!

"I'm proud of myself for having gone through this difficult year, having done all this work and not having given up. It's just cool to be in good shape here, ready to defend the jersey", announces the Champenoise, operated in January of iliac artery endofibrosis.

Dominated in the French Championship by Léna Gérault (25 years old) and by Loana Lecomte (21 years old), who will compete in Austria in the U23 Under-23 race, "PFP" is back in good shape at the right time and aims at 28 years a third crown after the coronations of Vallnord (Andorra) in 2015 and Mont-Sainte-Anne (Canada) last year.

"She is in great shape," warns Yvan Clolus, the manager of the national team, who exempted her from participating in the relay won Wednesday by France in Leogang, the site chosen after the withdrawal from Albstadt (Germany) to cause of the coronavirus.

- Schurter for a 9th title -

The Dutch Anna Terpstra, without family ties with the former winner of Paris-Roubaix (Niki Terpstra), has also stood out, unlike the Swiss Jolanda Neff, the 2017 world champion, who does not seem have fully recovered from his severe fall at the end of last year (removal of the spleen).

Even if the Leogang course (3.4 km), different from that of the 2012 Worlds, could suit him in the event of rain, which is likely according to the weather forecast, and the unforeseen events that accompany it.

In the elite men's race, the Swiss Nino Schurter is applying for a ... 9th world title.

The Rio Olympic champion has not been beaten at the Worlds since 2014, the year of Julien Absalon's fifth and last victory.

"I feel good," said Schurter (34), who gained momentum at Nove Mesto (4th then 3rd).

"I think I was the strongest the second time around. But the track was not selective enough."

Facing Schurter, but also the Dane Simon Andreassen and the Brazilian Henrique Avancini, the winners of the two rounds of the World Cup, the French present several cards.

Maxime Marotte, then Victor Koretkzy, took places of honor in the Czech Republic, while the French champion Jordan Sarrou and Stéphane Tempier gleaned runners-up.

© 2020 AFP