The costume of the providential man of French road cycling definitely suits Christophe Laporte well. By winning in Cahors during the 19th stage of the Tour de France in the summer of 2022, he allowed the Tricolores to avoid a zero score not seen in the event since 1999. By winning Ghent-Wevelgem, at the end of March , he had put an end to more than twenty-five years of national shortage in the Belgian classic prize list. By beating, by a thread, Wout van Aert on the finish line of the road race of the European Championships, in the province of Drenthe in the Netherlands, Sunday September 24, the 30-year-old Varois offers the Blues the first title in their history in the young event introduced in 2016.

Setting off alone 12 kilometers from the goal, the puncher narrowly resisted the return of Belgian Wout van Aert and Dutchman Olav Kooij, his teammates in the Jumbo-Visma team. An epilogue that the coach of the France team followed with tension in the finish area, before being able to let his joy burst forth. “Chris told me “I want to try everything” and he tried everything, reacted Thomas Voeckler, moved, at the microphone of the L’Equipe channel. This time don’t go looking for an excuse like “yes but they looked at each other behind”: he was the strongest. »

Nine weeks after having had to abandon his rainbow dreams, 85 kilometers from the finish line of the World Championships in Glasgow (Scotland), Christophe Laporte is adorned with the star-spangled jersey. A tunic which will be put back into play on September 15, 2024 in Limburg (Belgium).

Mischa Bredewold crowned among women

The day before, among the women, it was the Dutchwoman Mischa Bredewold who won the European coronation in front of her audience. She crossed the line alone after breaking away from the group of favorites. The 23-year-old runner deprived her compatriot Lorena Wiebes of a double. The sprinter finished second, 4 seconds behind, ahead of her SD Worx teammate, Belgian Lotte Kopecky, in the sprint, green jersey of the last Tour de France and crowned world champion a month ago in Scotland.

These European Championships will have been successful for the French delegation. A few days earlier, the Blues had captured the continental title in the mixed relay time trial, after winning world silver in the event in August. In the rain, Audrey Cordon-Ragot, Cédrine Kerbaol, Juliette Labous, Bruno Armirail, Rémi Cavagna and Benjamin Thomas were ahead of the Italians by 4 seconds and the Germans by 22 seconds.