Does the name Caroline Mani still ring a bell? The French rider was part of the international cyclocross elite for years, but raced almost exclusively in the United States in recent seasons. Last weekend, at the age of 38, she decided to bring her rich cyclocross career to an end.
With Mani, a cyclocross vice world champion, bidding farewell to the sport. In 2016, at the World Championships in Heusden-Zolder, she claimed the silver medal. That day, Mani was only bested by the Dutch rider Thalita de Jong, who soloed to the world title after an exciting race and intense final.
The world title battle in Zolder proved to be the sporting highlight of Mani’s career, but it was certainly not her only achievement in cyclocross. In the same season (2015-2016), she also won a bronze medal at the European Championships, became French elite champion five times, and stood once on the podium of the Namur World Cup race.
Mani, De Jong and Sanne Cant: the WC podium of Heusden-Zolder - photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
A stylish farewell
In the final years of her career, Mani was mainly seen on the other side of the pond. In the United States, she scored numerous crossover victories well into her late career.
Last weekend, she said goodbye in Boulder, Colorado. She did so in style: in the first round of the Boulder Cup, she secured the 40th and final UCI victory of her career.
