Célia Gery was crowned European under-23 cyclo-cross champion on Sunday in Zeddam, in the Netherlands. The 20-year-old French rider, a member of the FDJ United - Suez team, finished ahead of her compatriots Lison Desprez and Amandine Muller, giving France all three places on the podium.
The title does not spare the champion a break. It will soon be time for the FDJ United - Suez rider to take time off in order to undergo surgery on her iliac artery. The procedure is intended to resolve problems in one leg that have been holding her back for several months.
The race consists of six laps. Gery takes the lead from the second lap and is accompanied only by Lison Desprez. The two French riders stay in front until the penultimate lap, when Gery drops her rival and then rides alone. She wins by nine seconds.
Desprez takes the silver medal and Amandine Muller claims bronze. No foreign competitor comes between the top three on the Dutch circuit of Zeddam, the venue for these European under-23 championships.