Part in the breakaway, Marie Le Net creates the surprise and won her first title of French champion on the online race

At the top for almost 100 kilometers, the FDJ-Suez runner lifted arms on arrival at the Herbaria on Saturday.

The heat will not have been right. Marie Le Net (FDJ-Suez) was crowned French road cycling champion on Saturday June 28, thanks to her victory at the Herbiers (Vendée) on the online race. She was ahead of her teammate Léa Curinier (39 “) and Julie Bego (at 41”, Cofidis), after having left them company eight kilometers from the finish. A great reward for the one that paved the way in the breakaway on no less than 93 kilometers.

Once left in the lead with Julie Bego and Clémence Latimier (Arkéa B&B Hôtels), she was joined further by Marine Allione and Constance Valentin (Winspace), but especially by Léa Curinier on whom she was able to rely to play her personal card. With another two minutes ahead of an overly wait-and-see peloton until about thirty kilometers from the line, the group of six fugitives resisted the attempts to accelerate favorites, including Cédrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly) in the final.

At the end of the 115.5 kilometers drawn on a circuit repeated seven times around Mont des Alouettes (4.7% over 1.9 km)La Bretonne – second in 2023 – made her power speak to let go of her competitors and go to win her first national title at 25 years old. “I don't understand what happened, I don't believe it! We know it's an open race where anything can happen, we had the best team at the start but between having it and doing it …”reacted the one who took 7th place on the time trial on Thursday, moved to tears at the microphone of France 3.

“I have the impression that we checked the race from A to Z, I knew that it was always necessary to have one step ahead, that is what I tried to do without yielding to pressure. I can never thank all my teammates enough, Léa of course who sacrificed himself. Our strength was this collective and I think luck was on my side today”continued Marie Le Net between two sobs of joy.

9min

It must be said that the FDJ-Suez, who benefited from the advantage of the number, had several possible strategies. The main one must certainly be to ride for the outgoing champion, Juliette Labous. But the one finally chosen, in view of the script for the race, turned out to be paid with a double on arrival. And this, while the tricolor team had no longer won on the online race of the French championships from the coronation of Evita Muzic in 2021.