France & Italy Dominate European Mixed Team Relay Championships
France and Italy proved their cycling prowess at the Road European Championships in the Province of Drenthe, Netherlands, taking home the titles in the highly anticipated Mixed Team Relay races. This year’s event also featured the first-ever awarding of the title in the Juniors category.
In the Juniors category, Italy’s team displayed their dominance with an impressive average speed of over 48 kilometers per hour. Andrea Bessega, Andrea Montagner, Luca Giami, Eleonora La Bella, Alice Toniolli, and Federica Venturelli finished the two laps of the course a remarkable 26″ ahead of Germany and 35″ ahead of France.
The Elite race was an intense battle between Italy and France. Initially, Italy’s men’s trio, Matteo Sobrero, Mattia Cattaneo, and Edoardo Affini, set the fastest time at the end of the first lap. However, France’s Audrey Cordon-Ragot, Cedrine Kerbaol, and Juliette Labous managed to gain over 20″ on the Italians to secure the continental title.
The French team, composed of Benjamin Thomas, Bruno Armirail, and Remi Cavagna, clinched the victory with a remarkable total time of 44’23” and an average speed of 52.170 km/h. Italy finished just 5″ behind, claiming the second position, while Germany secured the third spot with a gap of 23″.
The Road European Championships will continue with the Men’s Under 23 and Women’s Under 23 Road races on Friday, September 22. The competition is expected to showcase more thrilling moments as young talents battle it out for their chance to shine on the European stage.
