Juliette Labous, Audrey Cordon-Ragot, and Victoire Berteau have secured the three coveted spots on the elite women’s team that will represent France in the road race on August 4 at the Paris Olympic Games, the Fédération Français de Cyclisme (FFC) confirmed on Tuesday.
Labous and Cordon-Ragot will also compete in the individual time trial on July 27.
France qualified three spots to the elite women’s road race where Labous, Cordon-Ragot and Berteau will represent their nation in the 158km event that will start and finish at the Eiffel Tower on the Pont d’Iéna between the tower and the Trocadéro Gardens. The women will race a larger loop of 110km before returning to complete two laps of an 18.4km circuit.
Labous, who is currently sixth in the UCI World Ranking, was the sole rider representing France in the women’s road events at the Tokyo Olympics Games. She finished ninth in the time trial and 30th in the road race. This season, she has finished in the top 10 at Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, fourth overall at La Vuelta Femenina, and third overall at Itzulia Women.
“Very happy and proud to announce my selection for the time trial and road race! Two more short months of preparation to be on top on July 27 and August 4. Thank you FFC for the trust given,” Labous wrote in a post on Instagram.
Cordon-Ragot brings experience to the team, having competed in the previous two Olympic Games. Berteau is the reigning French Champion in the road race and also aims to compete in the track events. She also had a strong Spring Classics campaign, finishing fifth at Ronde van Drenthe and eighth at Paris-Roubaix.
“Very proud and happy to announce my selection for the Olympic Games online race! Can’t wait to defend the colours on the most beautiful sporting event! Thanks to the FFC for its support and confidence. On the way to making history,” wrote Berteau.
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Missing out on the selection was Évita Muzic, who took to social media to express her disappointment but said she would instead turn her attention to the Tour de France Femmes, held after the Games.
“The road cycling event at the Paris Olympics 2024 was a dream. I will not be participating in that. The selector decided otherwise, and I can only accept that decision with bitterness and regret,” Muzic wrote on Instagram.
“Bitter because I was making this race a major goal of my season. The Paris Games are the event of the century, a unique opportunity to shine the blue-white-red flag at home, snag a medal and inspire future generations of our sport.”
Muzic is the second-ranked Frenchwoman in the UCI Rankings in 19th, while Berteau is 43rd and Cordon Ragot 101st.
The 25-year-old has had a standout season and is currently in eighth overall in the Women’s WorldTour with top performances that included fourth at Flèche Wallonne, a stage win and fifth overall at La Vuelta Femenina and second overall at Vuelta a Burgos.
“Regret also because, with my performances since the beginning of the season, my victory on the Vuelta and the results achieved on explosive circuits that correspond to the course of the Games, I thought I had proven the relevance of my selection. That’s what I believed,” Muzic wrote.
“I’d still be, and obviously, one of the biggest supporters of the French team. Sports life is full of disappointments that you have to learn to cash in, to become stronger. Watching the Tour de France Women now, more determined than ever.”