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Wiggle High5 Pro Cycling’s Audrey Cordon-Ragot has won the prestigious Chrono des Nations Individual Time Trial in Les Herbiers, in the Department of La Vendée, western France. The French Time trial Champion completed the 26.4km course in a time of 35 minutes, 47 seconds, to beat Belgian TT Champion Ann-Sophie Duyck (Team Drops) by 11 seconds, and former British TT Champion Hayley Simmonds (Team WNT) by 23. 
“It was a good day. I didn’t expect to win today,” Cordon-Ragot said. “I more expected to be on the podium, but winning in front of [Olga] Zabelinskaya and Duyck was a great victory, so I’m really happy. “[Duyck’s] been really good in the time trials the whole season,” Cordon-Ragot continued. “She was on the podium at the European Championships and, of course, she was the leader today. I was three seconds behind her after 10km, and then I took 14 seconds from her in the last part of the TT. “So I had a really strong end of the TT, and I think that’s how I won today. I was able to push really hard in the last few kilometres.” As a native and resident of nearby Brittany, Cordon-Ragot was almost racing on her local roads. As the recently crowned Breton Champion, and wearing the blue, white and red French flag as National Champion, she was assured a lot of support from the roadside fans. 
“It’s almost home, it’s really not that far,” she smiled. “I have a part of my family living 30km from here. It’s really special to come here, because also the French public is 100% for me, for the National Champ. “The last time I won here was ten years ago, when I was a junior, and was also wearing the national kit. It’s pretty special, ten years later, with the national jersey, coming here and winning. It’s pretty special.” Victory in the Chrono des Nations marks an end to Cordon-Ragot’s 2017 season, which has been her best to date in the biggest races. “It’s finally the end of my season, I was really looking forward to that!” she laughed. “I was really tired, but I’ve been training short rides, but really intense because I wanted to prepare for this race and I think I did well. “Now I’m pretty happy to finish, and I’m also really motivated to start 2018!” Result |
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