Jeannie Longo-evity - a cycling phenomenon

                                                                                         

She has done it again.

After winning the French national time trial championship for the eighth time on Thursday, the 49-year-old Jeannie Longo ( yes your read correctly Longo is FORTY NINE YEARS OLD) followed it up on Saturday with yet another blistering performance to win the 113km French Road Race Championship.

It's sixth time she has done the double here in France and the win saw her add to an impressive haul of 54 medals in national, world and Olympic competition. And if that weren't enough, not only does Longo excel on the road, she's also a champion on the track.

Next for Longo will be Beijing where she'll be looking once again to add to her tally of four Olympic medals - one gold, two silver and one bronze.

The first of those came in Atlanta way back in 1996. But you have to go even further back - 12 years before to be precise - to mark Longo's first appearance at the Olympics in Los Angeles.

When she lines up alongside her competitors in August, Longo will be competing in her seventh consecutive Games and facing some women who weren't even born when she started her Olympic odyssey!

Put quite simply, the stats speaking for themselves and Jeannie Longo has to be just about the most decorated woman in sport - certainly in cycling.

But while she deservedly receives national recognition back home in France and certainly plaudits within the cycling world, Longo isn't exactly one of the most high profile sportswomen internationally in spite of her success.

Let's hope that changes in Beijing, which should mark the end of her Olympic career. But who knows with this woman? London in 2012 aged 53 perhaps.

There are probably more than a few people out there who would like an insight into the secret of her longevity.

For the moment though what's the betting that the French and a fair few followers of cycling around the world will be sat in front of their television screens in around six weeks' time screaming "go Jeannie go."

About the author:
Johnny Summerton is a Paris-based broadcaster, writer and journalist specialising in politics and sport. For more on what's making the headlines here in France, log on to his website http://www.persiflagefrance.com

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