The European Championship race in the U23 category will go down in history as perhaps the most curious of all time. Right from the start, it is clear that two-time elite World Cup winner Pauline Ferrand Prevot and elite World Cup leader Jolanda Neff will be riding in a league of their own.

After one of four laps, the duo, who also ride together in the Dutch pro team Liv Pro XC, have a one-minute lead. But then the inconsistencies begin. The observers are baffled because the chasers are able to quickly close the gap and five riders catch up again after half the distance. "No one wanted to take the lead. Pauline wasn't able to lose me and I wanted to make it a sprint to the finish," said Neff, explaining the strange course of the race, which is more familiar from road races.

On the next lap, the duo again pulled out a lead, but once again they dawdled. This time, three riders - Helen Grobertn (GER), defending champion Yana Belomoina (UKR) and Italian Lisa Rabensteiner - closed the gap. On the final lap, the two favorites pull away again, but no decision is made. Then, 200 meters before the finish, there is a situation that causes a lot of discussion. Jolanda Neff wants to overtake on the left on a straight. "I had planned for this spot. I was already at the same height when Pauline moved to the left and pushed me into a post," explains Jolanda Neff.

The Frenchwoman, on the other hand, believes that there was not enough space where Neff wanted to pass. "Jolanda rode into my line," says Ferrand Prevot. In fact, there is a left-hand bend at this point. A commissaire who was watching the incident says that there wasn't much space where Jolanda Neff wanted to pass and that it was just too tight before the bend. In any case, they both crash and a barrier tape gets caught in Jolanda Neff's chain. Ferrand Prevot is back on her bike faster and becomes European champion without celebrating. "I think it was an unsporting move," insists Jolanda Neff, "she couldn't lose me the whole time and then something like that." "I'm not happy about a win like that. That wasn't right of Jolanda, it wasn't a good spirit," said Ferrand Prevot in her statement.

While Helen Grobert wins the duel against Lisa Rabensteiner for third place, Linda Indergand finishes fifth and is pretty unhappy about it.
"The start lap wasn't good at all. I had to get off my bike a few times and lost a lot of positions. Then the leading group was already gone. Things went well from lap two onwards, but that was already too late," said Indergand. Andrea Waldis finished in tenth place.

Rankings European Championships 2014, St. Wendel/GER, U23 women:
1. Pauline Ferrand Prevot (FRA)	1.25.23	+0.00
2. Jolanda Neff (SUI)	1.25.34	+0.11
3rd Helen Grobert (GER)	1.26.03	+0.40
4. Lisa Rabensteiner (ITA)	1.26.21	+0.58
5th Linda Indergand (SUI)	1.27.00	+1.37
6th Yana Belomoyna (UKR)	1.27.53	+2.30
7th Margot Morschetti (SUI)	1.28.18	+2.55
8th Jovana Crnogorac (SRB)	1.28.20	+2.57
9th Monika Zur (POL)	1.29.29	+4.06
10th Andrea Waldis (SUI)	1.29.45	+4.22
13th Ramona Forchini (SUI)	1.31.30	+6.07