Never worried, the French Pauline Ferrand-Prévot flew over the cross-country event of the World Mountain Bike Championships, Sunday in Les Gets (Haute-Savoie), well ahead of all her competitors.

At 30, PFP adds a fourth world title in cross-country (2015, 2019, 2020, 2022) to its 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 am told that I am the old one in the peloton, I manage to win two world championship titles in three days.

It's exceptional, ”rejoiced after the Ferrand-Prévot race, who had dominated the short-track event on Friday.

Very fit in Les Gets, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot has never been 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.

Loana Lecomte defeated on home soil

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

But it was PFP, who were 2nd on arrival in Munich, who set their 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 Pauline Ferrand-Prévot.

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

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 am very happy that it is Pauline who brings back the title”, she wanted to remember.

Road world champion in 2014 and cyclo-cross in 2015, 14 times French champion in all disciplines, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot confirmed with this 4th cross-country world title her return to the highest level, after a start to the season “ difficult,” in his own words.

A good omen before Paris 2024 and enough to make us forget the disappointment of Tokyo, where she finished 10th.

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 PFP on the finish line.

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European Mountain Bike Championship: Loana Lecomte European champion ahead of Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, double French

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After her failure at the Olympics, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot retains her title of European champion

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