France won the Mixed Team Relay at the 2023 UEC European Cyclo-cross Championships in Pont-Château on Friday afternoon. Great Britain finished 33 seconds off the winning time of 42:47 to earn silver, and Belgium stopped the clock another 34 seconds back for bronze.
From the lineup of five nations at the inaugural event, Czech Republic finished two seconds ahead of Italy to round out the final results.
In February, the mixed team relay was introduced as a medal category at the Cyclocross World Championships in Hoogerheide and was won by the Netherlands. Great Britain and Belgium took the same medals as Friday, with France finishing fourth.
This time out as the home team, Team France, had solid performances in the six-lap race by their junior and U23 riders to shut down the competition.
The 21-year-old Rémi Lelandais put France into second place riding the second lap after men’s junior rider Aubin Sparfel, and 17-year-old Célia Gery continued the pressure with her lap. The balance of the team - Electa Gallezot, Hélène Clauzel and Joshua Dubau - combined to give France the gold.
