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Lise Revol claimed a stunning home win for France in a thrilling junior women’s race at the 2025 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Liévin.
After a gripping battle with Czechia’s Barbora Bukovská which ebbed and flowed throughout the five-lap race, Revol fought back on the last lap to catch her opponent and drop her for the victory in the final few corners.
Revol had taken an early lead on lap one only to be chased down and passed by Bukovská mid-way through the race. The Czech rider then looked the stronger of the pair and celebrated at the end of lap four after thinking she had won the race.
She was being brought back by Revol who maintained her strength over the steps and was more adept in the technical sectors, pushing Bukovská down to second after making a small mistake which gave the French rider breathing space to celebrate at the finish.
Rafaelle Carrier (Canada) won the closely fought battle for third place 1:43 behind the two leaders, beating junior European CX champion Anja Grossmann (Switzerland) to the final podium spot.
How it unfolded
After the mixed-relay got action underway on Friday at at Cyclo-cross Worlds, the junior women took centre stage on Saturday morning, with the 42 riders getting underway in frosty, cold conditions in Liévin.
The French riders brought roars from the home crown with an aggressive start, as Revol and Lison Desprez took an early lead. Soon Revol showed herself as the strongest, leaving her compatriot and the whole field behind on the opening lap.
Revol crossed the line at the of lap one with a 24-second lead on Carrier, who led a large chase group.
The French rider looked to be riding away to solo victory until Bukovská shot out of the chasers at the start of lap two and began to chip away at Revol’s advantage. Soon, the Czech rider had halved the deficit and was just 12 seconds down at the end of lap 2.
Small mistakes from Revol allowed…
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