The 50th edition of the Boucles de la Mayenne couldn’t begin any better for the Groupama-FDJ cycling team! After a solo effort of 5,400 metres in the streets of Laval, Thibaud Gruel claimed his first-ever professional on Thursday. The 21-year-old, former rider of “La Conti,” clearly dominated the prologue and therefore gave a perfect start to the four days of racing on Marc Madiot’s home soil. In addition the young man, who took the leader’s jersey, the team as a whole showed solid performance, with Clément Russo (10th) and Tom Donnenwirth (19th) both finishing in the top-20.
To celebrate their anniversary edition, the Boucles de la Mayenne couldn’t go without one of their trademarks. As often in the French event, a prologue was indeed set to kick off the fight on Thursday, with the final competitors expected shortly after 8:30 p.m. on the technical and demanding 5.4-kilometre circuit of Laval. “We knew the wind was going to decrease throughout the day and it looked like the fastest times were also coming at the end”, explained William Green. “We did a small recon. Some riders tested different equipment, different chainrings, and we were feeling really prepared. Many riders in the team, including Paul and Thibaud, had done the prologue last year, so they really knew the improvement that they could make”. Among the first ones to tackle the course, Paul Penhoët set a solid time of 7’02, placing him in provisional fourth. His lead-out man Clément Russo performed remarkably well too, with a time of 6’55, followed by Cyril Barthe (7’02) and Tom Donnenwirth (7’00) who also put on some good rides while Rory Townsend was in the hot seat (6’52). Then, Thibaud Gruel, the last rider from the team, set off from the starting ramp at 8:19 p.m.
“I’m really enjoying it,” Thibaud Gruel
Six minutes and forty-six seconds later, the young French puncher smashed the previous best time. “It was a technical prologue but with two nice, explosive climbs at the end, which suited me well,” he said. “All the boys did it before me, they gave me good advice, then I tried to be aggressive on the corners and climb the two hills flat out.” “Thibaud did quite an incredible ride today,” William Green said. “He knew that he lost time on the main climb of the prologue last year and this point was emphasised. He gave 120% this time, and you could really see him fighting the bike. This was a key point. Also, the first thing he told me when he finished his ride was: ‘’you told me last year that I took the corners too slow, I had that thought in my mind today and I couldn’t have taken these corners any faster’’. We’re also lucky to have one of if not the fastest time trial bike around. Finally, we made some changes with the chainrings for the climb, and I think we got it right”. Despite his stellar time, the young Frenchman had to wait a few nervous minutes for the final competitors to arrive, including one of the favorites, Benoît Cosnefroy, last season’s winner.
The latter ultimately failed by three seconds, and the final rider of the startlist by fourteen. Surrounded by his staff, Thibaud Gruel could therefore show pure happiness; that of a first win “among the big boys.” “I couldn’t raise my arms, but the feeling is the same,” he said. “I’m really enjoying it!” “It was a really great day,” William added. “This is Marc’s home race, and all his family and friends were here supporting the team. The atmosphere was really special. For Thibaud to take his first professional victory here, especially after a few challenging races earlier in the season but also after improving his confidence in Dunkirk, is the icing on the cake. Everyone also did a solid ride, which shows the motivation of the team and the physical level. It was really satisfying seeing the improvement from last year. It’s important to highlight that the prologue still is a team effort. The riders who start earlier share their advice and feedback with those who start after them, and that may have made a difference for Thibaud today.”
On Friday, Thibaud Gruel will take the start in Saint-Berthevin, for the first road stage, with the yellow jersey on his shoulders. “We’re definitely aware that it’s a challenging race to control, but we’re very confident in the riders we have in the team,” concluded William. “It’s a very similar team to Dunkirk, where we showed how we controlled on the queen stage. So we’re going to give it absolutely everything and Thibaud is in great shape. It’s likely to arrive in a sprint tomorrow but the local circuit is actually really technical, and it’s up and down. We will be prepared and we’ll have a really clear strategy for the race”.
