France's Ferrand-Prevot takes surprise world title
Ponferrada (Spain) (AFP) - Frenchwoman Pauline Ferrand-Prevot admitted she hadn't expected to win after stunning the favourites in a select bunch sprint to claim the women's road race title at the World Championships in Ponferrada, Spain on Saturday.
Ferrand-Prevot is more known as a climber having come from a background in mountain biking, but she found the kick finish to streak through and win by the narrowest of margins.
Germany's world timetrial champion Lisa Brennauer took second in a photo finish ahead of Sweden's Emma Johansson, with twice former world champion Giorgia Bronzini of Italy missing out by a whisker.
Such was the tense finish that the four women were separated by less than the length of a wheel.
Ferrand-Prevot became the first French woman to win this event since legend Jeannie Longo took her fifth crown in 1995.
She admitted she thought her hopes of a medal were over when she was dropped on the final climb.
"I crashed on Sunday with my teammates in the team timetrial so I had quite a hard week and I didn't feel really good," said the 22-year-old.
"Today I didn't expect to win so it's really great for me. I was dropped on the last climb and I said 'OK, the podium is finished' but the four girls in front almost stopped.
"I was lucky the German team was right for me and I had a really good lead out, so thank you.
"I just knew I had to keep my hands on the handlebars. At first I thought it wasn't possible. I've just realised (she won) and it's super."
For Ferrand-Prevot, it was another title to add to a glittering career in which she has combined competing in cyclo-cross and mountain biking as well as road cycling.
She won La Fleche Wallonne Feminine back in April while this year she has been French national champion in cyclo-cross, mountain-biking, the road race and, for the third time in a row, the timetrial.
She was also previously a world junior champion in this event in 2010 and mountain biking in both 2009 and 2010.
Johansson, who was runner-up last year and also won bronze in 2010, admitted she was surprised to see the Frenchwoman winning a sprint, but more so that Ferrand-Prevot hadn't made the break over the last climb.
"I've seen Pauline has really stepped up as a top rider this year, she's done really amazing results. I was surprised she wasn't with us over the top of the climb," said Johansson.
"I'm surprised but also not as she's been a really strong rider this year -- I had her as one of the favourites this year."
Double reigning champion Marianne Vos of the Netherlands, the overwhelming favourite coming into the race, could finish only 10th.
Ferrand-Prevot's victory owed much to sheer opportunism for a specialist climber not known for her kick finish.
But Olympic champion Vos, Britain's Lizzie Armitstead, the World Cup winner and silver medallist at the London Games, and Italy's Elisa Longho Borghini will all have regrets.
The three broke clear of the pack, along with Johansson, on the final 1km climb.
They went over the top with a clear gap and just 3km still to ride but as they came into the final kilometre with just the home straight ahead, none of them wanted to take the lead, allowing German Claudia Lichtenberg to lead a chasing group of around 12 riders back into contention.
That group included a number of specialist sprinters such as Bronzini and Shelley Olds of the United States, but when the sprint was launched, Ferrand-Prevot wound her way through the traffic to punch through and take a shock victory.
Brennauer completed an incredible tournament in which she won gold in the team timetrial and individual timetrial as well as now adding a silver in the road race.
