Kerbaol defends Tour de France Femmes white jersey as headwinds have an effect on mountainous stage 2
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Cédrine Kerbaol makes her debut on the Tour de France Femmes in her first 12 months with Ceratizit-WNT Professional Biking. The 22-year-old Breton wasted little time in making her presence identified, incomes the white jersey as finest younger rider on stage 1 after which extending her lead within the U23 classification on the second day.
After Monday’s hilly stage, Kerbaol placed on the white jersey for a second day in a row, and this time a bit extra securely on her shoulders with 1:21 over second-placed Ella Wyllie (Lifeplus Wahoo).
“It’s at all times good to take a little bit bit extra time on the opposite U23 riders, however we by no means know what can occur. We’ll attempt to keep on this fashion as a lot as doable,” Kerbaol instructed Cyclingnews after the stage.
“On paper, it was a very arduous stage, however with the headwind within the first 100 km it actually modified every part as a result of it was not going full-gas on the climbs like we anticipated. It actually modified the race, and it was solely the final climb that made the distinction.”
On the final climb, the Côte de Trebiac, Kerbaol was in an elite entrance group and she or he was one of many attackers which had only one kilometre from the highest of the climb to the end line. Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) had kicked off the attacking in addition to Juliette Labous (Staff dsm-firmenich) and Marlen Reusser (SD Worx). although no one would handle to create a niche earlier than the highest. Demi Vollering tried to guide out her SD Worx teammate and race chief Lotte Kopecky to the victory, however Liane Lippert (Movistar) got here from behind to win the stage.
The aggressive driving by Kerbaol has positioned her within the prime three of the younger rider classification at a number of different races this 12 months, together with a prime leads to March at Tour de Normandie Féminin. Now driving as the perfect U23 rider may put her in a little bit of a pickle because the race concludes with the ending time trial in Pau, and she or he was wanting to put on her nationwide colors as the brand new French ITT champion.
“It’s a little bit of a dilemma as a result of if I’ve the white jersey on the final day, I can’t put on the tricolore skinsuit. However I undoubtedly wish to hold the white jersey, there shall be different alternatives to put on the champion’s skinsuit,” Kerbaol was nonetheless clear about her priorities.
Kerbaol just lately began her personal YouTube channel, producing and publishing brief movies on her racing life. Curiously sufficient for a French rider, the movies are in English – however there’s a good cause for that.
“My boyfriend is English, most of my pals, the general public I speak to talk English, and I communicate English with them. I began the channel as a result of I needed to point out from the within what it was wish to be a professional bike owner. And I received a GoPro digicam for my birthday, so I believed I’ll do one thing with it,” the 22-year-old defined.
4 years in the past Kerbaol received the junior street race nationwide championship, so she appears to increase her maintain on the younger rider classification on one other hilly day on stage 3.
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