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Wiggle High5 Pro Cycling’s Audrey Cordon-Ragot has dominated the French National Time Trial Championships, in St Omer, in the Pas-de-Calais department of north-east France, to take her third title in three years. Starting last as defending champion, the Breton rider completed the technical, 25.3km course in a time of 35 minutes, 40 seconds, which was one minute, 23 seconds faster than former Severine Éraud (FDJ-Nouvelle-Aquitaine-Futuroscope) and a further six seconds faster than Éraud’s teammate Aude Biannic. 
“I think this year was the key one,” Cordon-Ragot said. “I just smashed it. I really wanted to make a big result, and make a big performance, because it’s really important when you’re the person selected for the Olympics; if you can’t perform the year of the Olympics, then the year after you want to prove that you were the good selection, and you want to show that you’re the best one in France. “So it was important for me to make a big result, and also to confirm my good shape from the beginning of the season. “I think I did it, and I’m really proud,” she added. Cordon-Ragot was the fastest rider throughout the course, passing through the 9.8km checkpoint in 15’19”, which was 32 seconds quicker than the previous best set by Juliet Labous (Sunweb). The Wiggle High5 Pro Cycling road captain then passed the 17.5km point in 26’04”, which was 1’03” quicker than the time set by Biannic, who had sped up to overtake the younger Labous. “I think there was a really good battle for the under-23 title,” Cordon-Ragot said of Labous’ contest with Éraud. “I was a bit far away from this because I already had a nice comfortable gap at the first intermediate. I knew I just had to find the balance and to go to the end with a good pace, and not take any risks because it was really, really windy and it was really dangerous. “I just had to not take any risks, and just enjoy it, and that’s what I did. But for sure they had really good battle between themselves, and it was interesting for the public.” Not long after the second checkpoint, Cordon-Ragot passed Elise Delzenne (Lotto-Soudal), who had started two minutes ahead of her, but still avoided taking any unnecessary risks over the sometimes difficult conditions. “It was quite technical, and it was up and down,” she explained. “You didn’t have much flat really. In the past days when I did the recon it was not as windy as today - it was normal and the wind was different. The first part was quite easy when I did the recon, but it was really hard today. “I was a bit scared because sometimes when I was in the aero position I felt the wind coming from the side, and and you can’t hold the handlebars very well and you can crash. So most of the time when I felt the wind coming from the side I just held my handlebars at the side. “I really had to be careful,” she added. “I didn’t want to crash, or to miss this title for a stupid crash or a stupid thing. So I think I did well.” 
Cordon-Ragot’s victory means that Wiggle High5 Pro Cycling’s French road captain gets to wear the blue, white and red colours in all individual races against the clock for a third straight year, which is something she is always proud to do. “It is nice, for sure!” she explained. “You know how I am with my nationality and my region, and it’s so nice to wear this jersey. Of course I will wear it in the Giro already, so it’s really, really nice. “I’m just hoping to get the second one on the road, and wear it the whole season in every race. It would be just amazing!” The challenge for Cordon-Ragot in Saturday’s road race, however, will be that she will start as the only Wiggle High5 Pro Cycling rider against several other big teams. “That’s the thing,” she explained. “[FDJ-Nouvelle-Aquitaine-Futuroscope] has nine at the start, and they have one of the best sprinters in the World with Fournier. The course is quite flat, so you don’t have so many opportunities and make the selection. For sure they will ride for her, trying to bridge every gap and end with a bunch sprint. “So I’m just hoping for as much wind as today, which could help to do the selection from the back; I have a little chance if it’s a small bunch sprint, and I can play this card, but it will be hard I know.” Photo Credit: Pascal Linget Result |
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