Frenchwoman to compete for first time in six months
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Pauline Ferrand Prévot is heading to Canyon-SRAM in 2017(Image credit: Canyon SRAM)
Pauline Ferrand Prevot (France) was the only rider to record a DNF(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Van der Breggen, Ferrand Prevot and Vos (Image credit: Bert Geerts/dcp-bertgeerts@xs4all.nl)
Pauline Ferrand Prevot (Image credit: Jeff Quénet)
Pauline Ferrand-Prevot will make her long-awaited Canyon-SRAM debut at this weekend’s Strade Bianche. Ferrand-Prevot hasn’t raced since the Olympic Games last August after injury meant she only competed on the road for nine days during the whole of last season.
Following the disappointment of only managing 26th at the Olympics, Ferrand-Prevot called cycling her “biggest nightmare.” The change in team over the winter has given her a new sense of purpose as she looks to put the past 12 months or so behind her, and she is excited to get her season finally underway.
“I think I’m in good shape, but you don’t really know until you’re in the race. I’m looking forward to joining my teammates again since our December training camp in Mallorca. I want to be good enough that I can help my team on Saturday. Already I am excited and a little nervous,” she said.
“I like the gravel roads there, and the profiles of climbs are short and steep, which suit me when I’m in good shape. The downhill sections are technical, and I really like these.”
Ferrand-Prevot rode Strade Bianche for the first time last season with the Rabo-Liv team, finishing 11th, 1:23 behind the winner Lizzie Deignan.
The rest of the Canyon-SRAM line-up were all in action at last weekend’s Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. Alena Amialiusik, Tiffany Cromwell, Alexis Ryan, Trixi Worrack and Italian champion Elena Cecchini will all head to Italy this weekend, with Lisa Brennauer the only member of the Omloop squad to skip the race. It will be Cecchini’s first time at Strade Bianche since finishing 10th on the debut edition in 2015.
She says she’s looking forward to wearing the green, white and red in front of a home crowd. “For me, it’s special because it’s in Italy and I feel really proud of the cycling tradition and our culture. I’m wearing the tricolore jersey, my family and fans will be there cheering, and so it would be even more special to perform well on Saturday,”
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Strade Bianche takes place on Saturday, March 4.
Canyon-SRAM for Strade Bianche: Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, Alena Amialiusik, Tiffany Cromwell, Alexis Ryan, Trixi Worrack and Elena Cecchini.
