As usual, Audrey Cordon-Ragot did not hide and spoke frankly. “I feel guilty. I was really off topic today,” she estimated this Wednesday at the finish of the mixed relay of the World Championship held in Zurich (Switzerland). France, European Champion and 2nd in the World Championship last year, had great ambitions and could even dream of the title after the cascading forfeits of Switzerland, the defending champion. But the protégés of Thomas Voeckler and Paul Brousse must ultimately be content with a place at the foot of the podium of the event won by Australia (see ranking).
4th was the boys’ place after their passage. Bruno Armirail, Thibault Guernalec and Benjamin Thomas conceded 22 seconds to Australia, already in the lead. The French were carried by a very strong Bruno Armirail. “He was as strong as he was intelligent. The Bagnères locomotive saved us. We managed to hold on in the difficult part and stay united as three.”reports Benjamin Thomas. “The strongest one had to do longer relays without getting carried away so as not to lose everyone in the red”reports Bruno Armirail, without citing himself as the strongest in the group.
“We were able to count on Bruno on a great dayconfirms Thibault Guernalec. He was a good conductor. I tried to match his pace so as not to slow down. The three of us were strong until the end.”. Benjamin Thomas couldn’t be there until the end. “I’m glad my friends were there. I wasn’t having a great day. It’s not nice to get crushed like that during a time trial.”. But when women took over, anything was still possible. “We are 22 seconds behind, like last year at the European Championship. That’s pretty good,” Bruno Armirail then comments.
“HARD TO MAKE ANOTHER DECISION”
Unfortunately for the French clan, Audrey Cordon-Ragot is not having a great day and she felt it from the warm-up. “We avoid saying it to keep everyone focused, but I knew it deep down. When you start on a hill like that, you know right away if you’re in the game or not, and I wasn’t there.”. First, Juliette Labous and Cédrine Kerbaol wait for the Breton woman. “We had bet everything on staying as a threesome for as long as possible, so we waited for Audrey, says Juliette Labous. We had confirmation from the car that we had to stay with three so we followed that plan, it was hard to make another decision.”
Audrey Cordon-Ragot regrets not having told her teammates to leave without her. “They would have gone faster as a pair, she said. After ten kilometers, I told them to go without me, I couldn’t pass the baton. I was there to do the decoration on the bike. I didn’t do anything except slow down the team, I take responsibility, it’s my fault. I was beside myself. If they hadn’t waited for me, there was a way to be on the podium, clearly.”
Behind, the duo gave everything to get on the box. But they missed fifteen seconds to have a trinket. “There is a bit of frustration, but that is normal at the time. We are disappointed, of course. There was better to do. We came to get better than a 4th place.”recalls Juliette Labous. Once she arrived, Audrey Cordon-Ragot apologized to her teammates of the day. “I told them I was sorry, there’s not much else to say.”. It was his last with the tricolors. “This wasn’t the way I wanted to leave the French team. It sucks. The guilt is hard to deal with but you have to accept it, it’s sport. I don’t know if the French team will miss me, but I will miss them.”she smiled despite everything as she left the mixed zone.
Photo credit: Patrick Pichon – FFC
