Bytager the publication "Two victories full of panache conclude a weekend of extreme intensity on the Wish One Millau Grands Causses!"
It was a racing weekend of rare intensity that ended yesterday in Millau, during the Wish One Millau Grands Causses 2023 event, a stage of the UCI Gravel World Series.
This weekend began with an innovation in the program: the OPEN, Juniors & Cadets races allowed beginners to get started in Gravel competition, in the hope of perhaps, one day, participating in UCI events.
These UCI events, which took place this Sunday, lived up to all expectations: first among the women, where the best specialists were present. From the foot of the Pouncho, we saw the long-distance athlete, Virginia Cancielleri, set the pace, quickly relayed by Carolin Schiff, the best Gravel cyclist of the moment. Their impressive climb of the Pouncho in 22min19s, only 4min more than the trio of men composed of Freddy Ovett, Aurélien Philibert and Byron Munton, captivated attention. These three had very little time to themselves before being caught by a peloton reduced to about twenty riders.
The regrouping between the women and men on the first paths of the Causse Noir allowed Carolin Schiff and Rosa Klöser to escape from their competitors while the men's peloton continued to lose elements in this grueling gravel section. They were already down to 12 on the Pierrefiche climb before approaching the military camp. Meanwhile, in the women's race, Carolin Schiff had lost her last competitor, Rosa Klöser, who was caught by Jade Treiffesen to form a counter-attack duo.
The grueling Camp Militaire was a challenge for the riders who had to battle a particularly strong wind this year. The open landscapes were not a distraction but rather contributed to a more rigorous selection, reducing the leading group to 10 riders at the exit of the Larzac Training Camp. The decision came in the new part of the course, in the Côte du Rouquet, at km 87,5. Toby Perry launched his attack and broke up the group which found itself isolated, one by one, in the Rallye des Cardabelle special, with in order Geoffrey Soupe, Nathan Haas, Russell Finsterwald and the Frenchman Emeric Turcat.
At La Cavalerie, the top three chasers regrouped and worked together in the hope of catching the 23-year-old Briton. On the women's side, Rosa Klöser paid the price for her early efforts and had to leave Jade Treiffesen alone in pursuit of Carolin Schiff. Despite the efforts of the counterattack, Toby Perry continued to extend the gap impressively without ever showing any signs of weakness, crossing the finish line at Wish One under the Millau Viaduct with a lead of more than 6 minutes over his first pursuer, Geoffrey Soupe of Team TotalEnergies and Russell Finsterwald. Toby Perry's performance amazed all the spectators present in Millau. The young Englishman is undeniably leaving a mark for the future.
This performance was followed by an equally impressive performance among the women: Carolin Schiff confirmed her supremacy by finishing the 145 km with a lead of almost 12 minutes over her compatriots Jade Treiffesen and Rosa Klöser.
Rankings: HERE
Source: CP
=> SEE AS WELL : All our MAG articles
