An impressive top 10 … What strong!
Consecration for the 29-year-old sprinter, who offers a blue-white-red jersey that he will not take on the Tour de France After playing the Giro in May. Certainly the strongest in bumps with Paul Seixas Today, Grégoire et Vauquelin Go again close to the title and will be able to nourish regrets. Behind this untouchable trio in the final sprint, Alexandre delettre (Totalenergies) comes to take a beautiful 4th place ahead Axel Laurance (INEOS Grenadiers), Louis Barré (Intermarché-Wanty) and Julien Bernard (Lidl-Trek)also very solid but a little lonely, like a Paul Magnier (Sudal Quick-Step) who has long believed before falling out on the end.
The summary of the race
Due to the heat, runners must therefore travel only 13 laps and 214.5 kilometers. From the first laps, the race is as often on the very lively and tactical French championships, each of the large WorldTour stables trying to trap their competitors. After several small escapes, a first big blow with around forty runners is the trunk with big names in front, as Romain Grégoire, Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ) and Paul Seixas (Decathlon Ag2r La Mondiale) … but not Kévin Vauquelin. A scenario not favorable to Arkéa-B&B Hotelswho puts himself on the board to restore the situation, even if Rémi Cavagna does a lot of work in front to maintain the minute apart between the two platoons. The race is already launched from afar and the imposed pace hurts while we are still more than 100 km from the finish!
The showdown ends up turning in favor of the Breton team, not without difficulty, and when operating the junction approximately 90 terminals from the goal, a group of seven strong stands. Ewen costiou Finally extracts a little further and sail alone a few kilometers, before a general grouping at 73 km … But there are already no more people in the peloton! And no respite for those who draw the tongue, because in stride, Groupama-FDJ gets into a team time trial mode and makes a big break at the front. We find there … more than a dozen of Marc Madiot runners, with only Dorian godon (Decathlon AG2R) to accompany them !
A rhythm Uncommon and a crazy race … 19 runners for winning 50 km!
A surprising but effective initiative, since even if the teammates quickly move forward at the front over the relays, seven Groupama-FDJ lead the dance with about twenty seconds ahead of a trapped platoon. Feeling the danger, Paul Seixas Forcing in Mont des Alouettes to make up for it. Impressive, he returns in the company of Vauquelin and other cadors like Paul Magnier (Sudal Quick-Step). But there are everywhere, with more than 21 runners in front and in the running for the win at four laps and more than 60 terminals of the finish!
The race remains very eventful and spectacular, and the crazy rhythm has already dismissed a pack of runners for the title. The attacks follow one another, and you have to wait for the entry into the last 50 kms to see a little more clearly, the calm temporarily returning to the front. 3 laps from the finish, there are 19 escaped runners, the main peloton pointing to him for more than a minute and already seeing beaten. For the Decathlon AG2Rthere are 4 representatives (Lapeira, Godon, Prodhomme, Seixas), only one for Total energy (Delettre) and Arkéa-B & B Hotels (Vauquelin), and no less than nine for the Groupama-FDJ (Grégoire, Madouas, Molard, Pacher, Penhoët, Rolland, Russo, Barthe, Braz Afonso), to which the solids must be added Magnier (Soudal-QuickStep), Bernard (Lidl-trek) et Laurance (Ineos). The agreement is good within this group, and the need to calm the game a little and to blow is felt, before the final bouquet which is announced.
Lapeira tries his chance in solo … Godon prevails after a mammouth sprint!
But this dead time may last a little too long, since at the foot of Mount des Alouettes, the gap with the 2nd peloton taken thoroughly by the Total energy background as snow in the sun! At home, the Vendée training is forcing to come back … and it is not far from getting there at the top, with 10 seconds separating only the two groups. A situation that pushes certain runners to relaunch in front, Madouas Initiating a blow with four other runners. Without success, even if it allows to resume a few seconds on the pursuers, who come up against 15 seconds, and even more over the offensives which are now followed by. It is ultimately Paul Lapeira Who finds the opening at 23 terminals of the goal, the title holder taking a few lengths in advance. We procrastinate behind, which allows the Norman to take 15 “of margin before the Groupama-FDJ does not ride.
When the last round bell sounds, there is only 5 seconds left, the suspense is total 16 km from the finish! Especially since the “peloton” ultimately did not say his last word and returns very close after a big climb. The final promises to be very tactical, everyone looks a little … until a big mine placed by Vauquelin at 12.5 km. The Normand is strong and almost returns to Lapeirawhich continues on its pace, while the rest of the group follows. Inevitably we delay again, and Lapeira Resumes, with another 15 seconds to 4 km. Head et Molard sacrifice themselves and return to 7 seconds at the foot of the final justice of the peace. Louis Barré surprise everyone from the back and quickly returns to Lapeirawhich logically explodes. Romain Grégoire Make the Jump, then the Decathlon AG2R makes the effort, with Seixas who sacrifices himself for Saw. The latter makes his power speak to overcome Grégoire et Vauquelin to the sprint.
