Célia Gery wins second U23 European cyclocross title as France sweeps Zeddam podium

Célia Gery won the under-23 women’s title at the 2026 European Cyclocross Championships in Zeddam, leading a complete French sweep of the podium ahead of Lison Desprez and Amandine Muller.

Gery completed the race in 46:17, with Desprez finishing only nine seconds behind after emerging as her closest challenger. Muller took bronze at 1:12, eight seconds ahead of Czech rider Barbora Bukovská.

The victory gives Gery a second European under-23 cyclocross title after her success in 2024. She had finished second behind Leonie Bentveld in Middelkerke last year, but returned to the top step in Zeddam despite racing with the iliac artery problem that will now bring her cyclocross season to an early end.

How it unfolded

The under-23 women faced the same 2.97km Zeddam circuit used throughout the European Championships weekend, with the sand section and the long 99-step staircase providing the clearest opportunities to create separation.

Gery had arrived as the most obvious favourite in our under-23 women’s preview, but France brought more than one realistic medal option. Muller had finished third in the 2025 championship, while Desprez had already shown strong form against Gery during the opening French races of this cyclocross season.

The final gaps show that the title fight separated into two distinct races. Gery and Desprez remained close enough for the gold medal to stay undecided deep into the contest, while the riders behind were already fighting over bronze and the remaining top-five places.

Gery eventually made enough of a difference to reach the finish with nine seconds in hand. It was a relatively small winning margin compared with the gaps behind, but enough to prevent the title from coming down to a sprint on Zeddam’s long finishing straight.

France lock out the podium

Desprez’s silver completed the strongest championship result of her career and confirmed the progress she had shown in October. She finished third in the opening Coupe de France round at Nommay before taking second behind Gery the following day.

Muller gave France the full podium by finishing at 1:12. Her advantage over Bukovská was only eight seconds, making the bronze medal fight considerably tighter than the gap back from the two leaders suggested.

Bukovská’s fourth place was nevertheless an impressive first European under-23 result. The Czech rider stepped up after winning the European junior title in 2025 and the junior world championship earlier this year, and immediately finished within 20 seconds of a continental medal at the higher age category.

Giorgia Pellizotti was fifth at 1:39, with Puck Langenbarg and Mae Cabaca the best Dutch finishers in sixth and seventh. Zélie Lambert gave France a fourth rider inside the leading eight, while Chiara Mettier was ninth and Noï Moes completed the top 10 at 2:16.

Gery regains the European jersey

Gery’s relationship with this championship now includes gold in 2024, silver in 2025 and another gold in 2026. That progression is particularly notable because her career has expanded far beyond cyclocross during the same period.

Her 2026 road season included victories at Brabantse Pijl, the French national road championship and a stage of the Giro d’Italia Women. She also raced the Tour de France Femmes with FDJ United-SUEZ before returning to cyclocross with Specialized TMRW.

The European Championship had also become a fixed end point to her short winter campaign. Gery confirmed in October that she would stop racing after Zeddam to undergo surgery for an iliac artery problem that has caused leg pain since August.

That made the title more than another line on an already varied palmarès. Gery arrived knowing she would not be able to build a conventional cyclocross season around the result, but still converted the final race before her planned treatment into a European championship victory.

She now leaves competition with the French national and European under-23 cyclocross jerseys both secured in 2026, while the timing of her return after surgery remains open.

European Cyclocross Championships under-23 women 2026 result