"PFP", 30, added a fourth world title in cross-country (2015, 2019, 2020, 2022) to her impressive record, thus equaling the record of Norwegian Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjå.

"I'm happy to have been able to prove that I'm still here. Even if I'm told that I'm the old one in the peloton, I manage to win two world championship titles in three days. It's exceptional", s is delighted after the Ferrand-Prévot race, which dominated the short track race on Friday.

On the starting line, she started favorite with Loana Lecomte, 23, a week after their double at the European Championships in Germany.

But it was Ferrand-Prévot, who was 2nd on arrival in Munich, who set his pace first.

Quickly alone in the lead, she posted a 30-second lead over Loana Lecomte at the end of the first lap.

"I had to get off to a good start and set my pace from the start so as not to suffer," explained Ferrand-Prévot.

Paris-2024 objective

Very fit in Les Gets, Ferrand-Prévot was never worried by her competitors, maintaining a comfortable gap, which was 1 min 35 sec over the Swiss Olympic champion Jolanda Neff, 2nd, at the finish.

Haut-Savoyarde Loana Lecomte, European champion in Bavaria, suffered.

Initially struggling in a group of pursuers, including the Swiss Allessandra Keller and the American Haley Batten (3rd), she was finally overtaken, but clung to her 4th place.

"I felt it was going to be complicated, but I'm proud to have fought until the end. I managed to remobilize myself in the last two laps (...) I'm super happy that it's Pauline which brings back the title,” she said.

World champion on the road in 2014 and cyclo-cross in 2015, Ferrand-Prévot confirmed with this 4th cross-country world title her return to the highest level, after a "difficult start to the season", devoid of an international podium before her 2nd place in Germany.

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"We had to digest the Games (she finished 10th in Tokyo, editor's note) and work on my weak points", had explained "PFP" during a press conference of the team on Thursday, where she had rightly estimated that "all the lights (were) green" for this weekend.

Something to make you forget the disappointment of Tokyo and above all a good omen before Paris-2024.

Because now, "we also know that we can be present in France, so the Games will be the objective for the next few years", announced Ferrand-Prévot on the finish line.

Schurter power 10

Among the men, the Swiss Nino Schurter was crowned for the 10th time on the sunny slopes of Les Gets, stopping the crazy project of the Briton Tom Pidcock, who was aiming to win the world title in three disciplines this year (cyclo-cross, mountain bike, road).

"It's crazy, unreal. It was almost a perfect race, I was able to put pressure from the start and make the others make mistakes. I wanted to make the race difficult", explained the Swiss ogre.

In a physical test, Schurter, 36, gave a devastating pedal stroke in a technical passage before the last descent to deposit the Spaniard David Valero Serrano (2), in his wheels almost to the end, and the Italian Luca Braidot (3rd).

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Tom Pidcock (4th), started from afar (36th bib), joined the leading group for a time, but never dominated as he had done in cross-country this year.

Under pressure, he ended up falling on the 6th lap, giving up on his goal, which began in January with a cyclo-cross title in the United States.

"I didn't want to make it too easy for him. I think he was in trouble, he couldn't attack," Schurter detailed after the race about the Ineos nugget.

Pidcock, 23, is now preparing to return to the asphalt with the Tour of Britain (September 4-11) then the Road World Cup in Wollongong (Australia) on September 25.

© 2022 AFP