Already crowned French cyclo-cross champion last year in Bagnoles-de-L’Orne, Hélène Clauzel (AS Bike Racing) applied the same strategy to retain her title in 2024 in Camors: a very early attack, at the exit from the first lap, followed by an impressive display of resistance to maintain the gap on her pursuers.
In this case, only Amandine Fouquenet (Arkéa-B & B Hotels), 2nd at 50 seconds, managed to limit the damage against the Alsatian. The rest of the competition was relegated to more than two minutes, including Anaïs Morichon (Arkéa-B & B Hotels), who completed the podium. Clauzel is the first rider to retain her national cyclo-cross title since Caroline Mani in 2016.
“I had imagined lots of scenarios in my head and my favorite tactic paid off,” explained Clauzel after the race. After the first round, I felt good, I said to myself: listen, go for it, try, and I attacked in a part where I had thought about attacking during the reconnaissance. I felt really good today. »
