Reigning world champion Mathilde Gros was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the individual speed, the queen event of the Track Cycling Worlds, Tuesday in Glasgow.
The 24-year-old Provençale, crowned last year in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, was largely dominated in two rounds by the German Lea Sophie Friedrich, whom she had beaten in the final in 2022. The other Frenchwoman still engaged , Marie-Divine Kouamé, had yielded in the round of 16.
It’s a final disappointment for Mathilde Gros in these Worlds and for the French women’s sprint, one year before the Paris Olympics. Gros and Kouamé had been eliminated in the team sprint qualifications with Julie Michaux. In keirin, the first managed to climb to the final but to take sixth and last place, far from medal ambitions.
Before the last day Wednesday, France has five medals, two silver and three bronze in Glasgow. Last year, the Blues won seven medals, including three gold.