The DV Women's Challenge is a good barometer of the progress of French women's Cycling. Open to all French women but also to foreign members of the French teams, the elite ranking has been dominated for four years by Cecilie Ludwig, since her arrival at FDJ-Suez (formerly FDJ-Nouvelle Aquitaine-Futuroscope). This year it is Juliette Labous who wins the final ranking of the Challenge DV.
The French Champion followed a linear progression in the DV Women's Challenge rankings. 4th in 2019, then twice 3rd, then twice 2nd, this time, the member of Team dsm-firmenich PostNL Ladies took first place. She is ahead of her future teammate, Evita Muzic, Cédrine Kerbaol and Marion Bunel and Grace Brown, tied for 4th place. There are therefore four French women in the first four places.
MORE AND MORE POINTS
Juliette Labous' progress can also be seen in the point totals. 1278 points in 2021 (with a calendar still disrupted it is true), 1832 in 2022, 1848 last year, and therefore 2408 points this year. This is also the record since the start of the Challenge while the scale remains the same. To give an idea of the consistency of the Franc-Comtoise this season, she did not enter the points on only five days, including that of the Olympic Games (46th). It is of course in the stage races that Juliette Labous collected the most points: 3rd in the Tour of the Basque Country, 4th in the Tour of Spain, 4th in the Valencia Cycling Week, 5th in the Tour of Italy, 5th in the Tour de Suisse, 6th in the Tour de Romandie and 9th in the Tour de France, his lowest place of the year in a general classification. And of course all the places at the stages that go with it. But the 26-year-old cyclist also knows how to place herself in one-day races. 3rd in the Tour d'Emilie, 4th in the Olympic Games time trial, Juliette Labous scored 31% of her capital in these one-day races.
The ranking of the DV Women's Challenge also shows that the professionalization of the French Continental teams desired by the FFC is bearing fruit. They have four representatives in the Top 10, compared to one last year and in 2023.
Prize list of the DV Women’s Challenge :
2024: Juliette Mouth 2408 pts
2023 : Cecilie Ludwig 2211 pts
2022 : Cecilie Ludwig 1908 pts
2021 : Cecilie Ludwig 1520 pts
2020 : Cecilie Ludwig 894 pts
2019: Audrey Cordon Ragot 1020 pts
2018 : Roxane Fournier 1041 pts
2017 : Shara Gillow 1243 pts
Individual ranking of the DV Women's Challenge
THE FLIGHT OF MARION BUNEL
The best Hope in the DV Women's Challenge is Marion Bunel. She dominated the Tour de l'Avenir, which has become the benchmark event on the women's calendar for under-23s. Last year, still an individual at VC Lisieux, the Normande finished 5th Espoirs in the Challenge but with a mainly national racing calendar. Moving to Conti at St-Michel-Mavic-Auber 93, Marion Bunel wasted no time in exposing her talent at the international level with her 15th place in the Tour Down Under and her 5th in the Tour of the United Arab Emirates. But it was in the French mountains that it took off. First with his victory in the Alpes Grésivaudan Classic then that of the Tour de l'Avenir with two stage victories as a bonus (read here). It was then at the Tour de l'Ardèche Féminin, which she finished in 2nd place, that Marion Bunel achieved a good collection of points thanks to her six stages. She pocketed 1/6 of her jackpot.
Maeva Squiban, 3rd last year, finished 2nd in the Espoir ranking. The representative of Arkéa-B&B Hôtels distinguished herself on the hilly courses with her stage victory at the Tour de l'Ardèche, her 3rd place overall in the AG Tour de la Semois but above all with grace in her 2nd place at Grand Bornand in the Women's Tour. The Breton, just like Marion Bunel, will play in foreign WorldTour teams next year. UAE Team ADQ for the first and Visma-Lease a Bike for Normandy. On the other hand, Julie Bego, Hope 1st year, and 3rd in the ranking will remain in France with Cofidis.
DV Women’s Challenge Hopes Ranking :
Last year, Julie Bego won the Junior ranking of the Challenge DV after being World Champion. In 2024, it is another World Champion, but in cyclo-cross, who wins the final ranking. Célia Gery, member of VC Rambertois, even has a double whammy with the club rankings. Double French Champion, time trial and road race, she shone at international level in the Nations Cup: 2nd in the Bizkaikoloreak, at the Borsele Circuit, 3rd at the Tour du Gévaudan, she won two stages at the Watersley Ladies Challenge. But it was in this Dutch race that she fell and this fall would spoil her European and World Championships.
DV Women's Challenge Junior Ranking
In the individual club ranking, Célia Gery is ahead of Ema Comte de Chambéry Cyclisme Compétition. The Savoyard club wins the team classification of the Challenge DV Femmes. Ema Comte, 1st of the Boucles Guégonnaises and of the 1st stage of La Pointe du Raz Ladies, is not the only one from the club to have won at the national level this year. Clémence Latimier won the general La Pointe du Raz Ladies Classic and the Loire Ladies Tour. Nina Lavenu completes the CCC trio in the Top 10 of the individual club ranking.
Individual club ranking of the DV Women's Challenge :
Cyclisme Chambéry Compétition is ahead of Team Elles-Groupama-Pays de la Loire and Lanester Women Morbihan in the N1 team rankings. On the N2 side, EC Thaonnaise is ahead of Abus-Sprinteur Club Féminin. The reverse ranking from last year. But EC Thaonnaise even finished 7th, all divisions combined.
The DV Women’s Challenge team rankings :
