With dark clouds above and rain pouring down it took courage to line up on the start line of La Montagnacoise Cyclosportive Sunday morning.  And yet, more than a hundred dedicated amateur cyclists made the pilgrimage to Montagnac, France to ride a very difficult course in dry weather, let alone in rain.

The 36 kilometre course with 165 metres of altitude difference per lap was ridden three times for the full cyclosportive, twice for the midi-cyclo and once for the cadet version.  Although, rider attrition due to the rain and cold forced many competitors to dismount and turn in their bib before the end of the race.

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Results 108km – 3 laps:  Jean-Marie Delourme (Team Baudille) 3:25:00, Nicolas Chapel (Teyran Bike) 3:25:04, Blaise Turc (CC Bédarieux) 3:26:55, Vincent Casals (NL) 3:26:56.  1st women Paquita Iturat (EC Poussan) 4:15:54.

Results 72km – 2 laps: Jason Kaufman (Teyran Bike) 2:15:46, Florian Bonnerot-Agniel (Teyran Bike) 2:15:53, Joan Soliva (Béziers MC) 2:15:58,  Ludovic Sarrou (Team MAC) 2:16:11, Thibault Puche (BMC Beziers) 2:17:09.  1st women: Marine Mauge (Teyran Bike) 2:41:53.

Results 36km – 1 lap: Edgar Oliva (Musquetaires Cyclistes Pradéens) 1:08:55, Louis Fabre (Musquetaires Cyclistes Pradéens) 1:09:52, Tom Gilhodes (Musquetaires Cyclistes Pradéens) 1:10:56.

Complete La Montagnacoise results HERE.

PHOTOS: midilibre