A week after losing her French national champion’s jersey, Amandine Fouquenet (Pauwels Sauzen – Altez Industriebouw) returned to the cyclo-cross World Cup podium with a third place in Benidorm.
The 24-year-old lost her tricolour jersey last weekend to Célia Gery (AS Bike Racing – France Literie) and then had to beat her younger rival in an uphill sprint for the final podium spot in Spain.
“It was really hard,” said Fouquenet. “I think it was, maybe, the hardest race of the year for me.
“It was really hot for a cyclo-cross, so getting back in it with this heat is a little hard. The last races were colder, when it’s hard and hot like this, it’s difficult.”
“It hurt me a lot,” added Fouquenet. “I think we were really all suffering and a finish like that is really hard.”
She added: “If I didn’t come here for the win then I’d have lost before I came here. It’s a goal, but a podium is good.”
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