It was the young rider’s (19 years old, 2 hopefuls) second participation in a French Elite championship. “This year was totally different, observes the neo-Dunoise. The level was much higher thanks to the presence of the elite French team. Despite everything, I saw that I wasn’t recovering physically and that I wasn’t that far off their level. It was a pleasure to see that hard work pays off. »
Titled the first day
From day one, Jade Labastugue distinguished herself by winning the team pursuit with the Centre-Val de Loire team (partnered by Clémence Chereau, Léane Tabu, Aurore Pernollet and Violette Demay). “But my greatest pride in the championship is undoubtedly my points run,” she adds. I didn’t expect to be second because there was a good level and it was the same day as the individual pursuit. »
Julian Alaphilippe will not be at Paris-Nice, his race schedule is known
Mainly because she was disappointed with her time in this individual pursuit event, where she still took third place. In addition to a fourth place in the omnium and a fourteenth place in the elimination race, Jade Labastugue took another podium finish (third place) over the American, Issoldunoise partner Aurore Pernollet.
Off to Portugal
In the next few days the young rider will take part in an international competition at the Anadia velodrome (Portugal), with the French team. Then he will do two preparatory courses in Poland and in Besançon with the Berruyer cluster.
More generally, these French track championships will have made it possible to distinguish the northerner Mathilde Gros (three titles) and the tarnais Benjamin Thomas (double in the individual pursuit and in the points race), previously expelled in Bourges.
Philip Roche
