WOW! At 52, Jeannie Longo wins another French national time trial title

BOULOGNE -SUR-MER, France (AFP) ─ French cycling legend Jeannie Longo easily beat riders half her age to claim her fourth consecutive time trial title at the French national championships on Thursday.

It was 52-year-old Longo’s 58th French national championship title including track and road cycling.

“A 58th title is a figure somewhat symbolic because it (1958) is the year of my birth,” said Longo. “This is the one I wanted and it really has made my season. It went well, but I wasn’t entirely confident today. I didn’t feel great, I slept badly last night and I’ve been feeling stressful about this.”

Longo claimed what was her 11th time trial gold from the national championships when she completed a 19km course in 29 minutes and 45 seconds. Christel Ferrier-Bruneau was second 45 seconds behind with Audrey Cordon third at 52.

Longo, the Olympic road gold medalist at the 1996 Atlanta Games, claimed her first French national title in 1979, coincidentally the year that Thursday’s second-place finisher Ferrier-Bruneau was born.

Longo also plans to compete in the women’s national road race on Saturday.

French national time trial championship
1. Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli (Rhône-Alpes), 19km in 29:45 (38.319kph)
2. Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (Gauss), at 0:42
3. Audrey Cordon (Vienne Futuroscope), at 0:52
4. Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Champagne-Ardenne), at 0:57
5. Edwige Pitel (Vienne Futuroscope), at 1:20
6. Julie Krasniak (Lorraine), at 1:27
7. Magdalena de Saint-Jean (Provence), at 1:47
8. Mélodie Lesueur (Ile-de-France), at 1:58
9. Sandrine Bideau (Ile-de-France), at 2:22
10. Alna Burato (Champagne-Ardenne), at 2:38

Jeannie Longo, career highlights:

Olympic Games
• Road race: Gold, 1996; Silver, 1992
• Time trial: Silver, 1996, Bronze, 2000
UCI World Road Championship:
• Road race: World champion, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1995
• Time trial: World champion, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001
UCI World Track Championship
• Points Race: World champion,1989
• 3 km Pursuit: World champion,1986, 1988, 1989; Silver, 1984, 1985, 1987; Bronze, 1981, 1982, 1983
UCI Mountain Bike Championship:
• Cross-county: Silver, 1993
French Road Championship
• Road race: 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988 1989, 1992, 1995, 2006, 2008
• Time trial: 1995, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
Tour Cycliste Feminin/Grande Boucle
• 1987, 1988, 1989
Women’s Challenge
• 1991, 1999
World Hour Record
• 2000 in Mexico City (45.094 kph)