Josie Talbot of Cofidis Women Team emerged victorious at the sixth edition of La Périgord Ladies, held on Saturday over a 109.6-kilometre route between Lac de Rouffiac and Boulazac-Isle-Manoir in Dordogne. Talbot outpaced Margot Vanpachtenbeke and Nina Buijsman in the sprint finish, succeeding the Dutch rider Amber Kraak as the race champion.
Reflecting on her victory, Talbot shared, “At the start, it was quite easy with the headwind. I waited until the second half of the race, where the course was tougher. I found myself in the breakaway, and although I thought it might be a bit early, the group worked very well together, and we built a significant gap. The four girls I was with were really strong. We collaborated well until the last two laps, which became more challenging with a few attacks. I knew I had a good sprint, so I waited until the very end. In the last two kilometres, we were going very slowly as nobody wanted to be in the lead. Elena Pirrone led me out perfectly up to 150 metres from the line, then I launched my sprint and managed to win.”
Eri Yonamine of Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi finished fourth, recounting her experience in the breakaway. “My job was to get into the break if a big team was represented. I didn’t expect it to go all the way, but when we had a gap of two to three minutes, I thought it was possible. In the climbs, they didn’t want to collaborate and preferred a sprint finish. I tried to attack once and did my best, but it didn’t work. The winner is a sprinter, and I’m a climber without a sprint. I enjoyed the race and my next target is the Olympics.”
Elena Pirrone of Roland Cycling Team, who finished fifth, commented on her performance, “I am pleased with my legs because I attacked early and stayed alone for a long time. Initially, I wanted to wait a bit because it was a long race, but it was dangerous to stay in the peloton, so I preferred to go alone to avoid problems. I was told to wait and ride calmly as a group was coming back. They caught up with me, but then they attacked me in the climb, and I didn’t have enough power to follow. I tried to play my card smartly, but I didn’t have the kick for the sprint. It’s a mixed result for me, but after a night’s sleep, I think I’ll be satisfied with my day. It was also great to have so many people cheering us on by the roadside.”
After the race, Pirrone shared her plans for the coming days. “I was at the Giro d’Italia last weekend, but I had to abandon due to heatstroke. Today, I was cautious about the temperature, but it was a bit lower, and I made sure to stay hydrated and cool. After Sunday’s Picto-Charentaise race, I’ll head to Livigno for an altitude training camp to prepare for the Tour de France. Racing is the best training, even though most of the work will be done at altitude. My legs are good, and I can still improve. I’m aiming for some stages at the Tour de France, not necessarily the general classification, but I’ll do my best in the mountains.”
Colombian rider Juliana Londoño, in her fifth European race with WCC Team, secured sixth place at La Périgord Ladies. She managed to win the bunch sprint, defeating French rider Gladys Verhulst-Wild and Chilean Catalina Soto Campos.
2024 La Périgord Ladies result
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