Loana Lecomte wins European mountain bike title and Belgians don’t stand out | european mountain bike

Pauline Ferrand-Privo has won the previous two European Championships and appears to have her sights set on gold once again this time around. The French got off to a lightning start, only her compatriot Luana Lecomte was able to absorb it at first.

But Ferrand-Prévot’s pace was also too high for Lecomte, who had to give up the role in the second round. Ferrand-Prévot seemed to be sneaking away on his feet towards the gold, but then had to deal with physical issues while climbing.

It took an excruciatingly long time before the French woman could put her chain back on and Lecomte ruthlessly rushed past her compatriot. In the blink of an eye, a progression of about a minute was converted into a buildup of about 50 seconds.

Ferrand-Prévot could not cope with that blow. At the end of the race, she managed to make up a few seconds, but Lecomte – the French champion – was able to crown her first gold in the European Championship. Ferrand-Prévot had to settle for the silver, and the bronze went to the Dutchman Anne Terpstra.

The Belgian women could not show themselves at any point during the match rush. 2018 Bronze Medal winner Geetha Michele managed to settle into the top 30. She was 29th over 10 minutes away from winner Lecomte. Emeline Detilleux has been doubled.