Frenchy can indeed race…
This past weekend was the 2014 European Cross Country Championships in St. Wendel Germany. There was no big surprises in the Men’s race as Julien Absalon (France) just keeps on winning whether it’s for team or for his country, this time taking the victory over Swiss rider Fabian Giger by 15 seconds. The Czech Jan Scarnitzl took third.
Cyclocross superstar Sven Nys of Belgium, who has never really dominated the XCO scene the same way he does cross, did managed a 5th place on the day. The “baggy short Cannondale brothers” Marco Fontana (Italy) and Manuel Fumic (Germany) took the 7 and 8 spots. As of writing this there is no word on whether they were able to convince their respective countries to provide them embarrassingly ugly baggy shorts for the team kit… you know to be comfortable and still look “casual cool” while sweating their Euro balls off. Meh.
And so can THIS Frenchy…
I usually don’t give too much attention to the U-23 races (no offense to those racers, it’s a time vs. coverage thing), however I am making an exception this time since tooth studded dominatrix Pauline Ferrand Prevot of France continued her domination of the mountain bike and took yet ANOTHER win in St. Wendel.
Bravo to Pauline Ferrand Pravo, it’s hard to argue with her form right now, it’s just sick! Or as the French say “Elle est dans certains malades sous forme” (or something like that). The only downside is that she beat out another Soiled Chamois favorite, and her Liv Pro XC teammate, Jolanda Neff in the process. Boo!
Julien Absalon & Tanja Zakelj photos by: Jan Němec, mtbs.cz
Pauline Ferrand Prevot photo via her Facebook page.
Video: LiveRacingTV24
*Note to my French reader(s), take no offense to the term “Frenchy.” All in jest and taken from Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. #murica.