Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Canyon-SRAM) was all smiles pre-race(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Audrey Cordon riding the prologue of the Boels Ladies Tour(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Aude Biannic, on the attack in the 2014 Tour of Qatar, will be part of the Spanish Lointek team's line-up for the inaugural Women's Tour in Great Britain(Image credit: ASO/B. Bade)
Eugénie Duval (FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Elise Delzenne (Lotto Soudal Ladies)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Juliette Labous won the bronze medal(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Severine Eraud (France) takes the title in the women's junior time trial(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Ferrand-Prévot won the world title in 2014 in Ponferrada, beating Lisa Brennauer and Emma Johansson in a bunch sprint. She went on to win the cyclo-cross and mountain bike titles the following season but has endured a challenging couple of years since due to illness and injury.
The 25-year-old has recently found her stride again with a series of mountain bike victories and second place at the recent GP de Plouay on the road. She has ambitious end-of-season targets, with the World Championships in mountain bike and on the road both on her programme this September. She will head to Australia this week for the mountain bike Worlds and will return to Europe on September 11 to begin her preparation for the road race in Bergen two weeks later.
"I will leave Australia the Monday after the race, and I still have almost two weeks to recover from the jet lag and the race. I think it is possible and now I have done some really good training at home to prepare for both races," Ferrand-Prévot told Cyclingnews in an interview last month.
"Also, the Worlds on the road are a while away. We are at the end of the season, so I don't need to train too much, I just need to be fresh. I think that in Bergen that it won't be the girl who trains the most that will win but the girl who is the smartest who is fresh from the season. I hope that I can play a part in the race."
Ferrand-Prévot will be joined by Audrey Cordon-Ragot (Wiggle-High5), Aude Biannic and Eugenie Duval (FDJ), Elise Delzenne (Lotto Soudal) and Juliette Labous (Sunweb). FDJ riders Charlotte Bravard, Severine Eraud and Roxane Fournier have been named as reserve riders. Reigning French time trial champion, Cordon-Ragot, will ride the individual time trial along with Eraud, while Labous is in reserve.
Ferrand-Prévot is France’s most recent world champion across all categories, male or female. The nation last won the time trial title in 2001 with Jeannie Longo’s fourth and final victory in the competition.
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The full make-up of the men’s team is yet to be revealed, but Julian Alaphilippe was named as the leader, with Lilian Calmejane, Anthony Roux and Tony Gallopin for back-up.
France for women's road race: Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, Audrey Cordon-Ragot, Aude Biannic, Eugenie Duval, Elise Delzenne and Juliette Labous.
France for women's time trial: Audrey Cordon-Ragot, Severine Eraud
