On the fast Caen route, the Tour de France riders took part in the first individual time trial of the 2025 edition this Wednesday. World and Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel claimed victory, Tadej Pogacar took yellow, while Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet did his best to limit his losses. Prior to a much-awaited sixth stage this Thursday, the French rider sits twenty-third overall.
Located between two hilly stages, the Caen time trial offered ideal terrain for pure specialists on Wednesday. Over the thirty-three kilometres of the day’s circuit, barely 200 metres of elevation gain were recorded, mainly due to a few false flats. “It was a long time trial, and the wind changed throughout the day,” explained Anthony Bouillod. “However, the GC riders all rode in the same conditions.” Sixteenth before this fifth stage, Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet was the last rider of the Groupama-FDJ cycling team to set off, at precisely 4:30 p.m. “The goal for Guillaume, even though he’s not a specialist, was to limit the losses, to be committed, and also to stay in the mix overall for the upcoming stages,” added Anthony. Not quite on his terrain, the French climber also had to deal with an imperfect condition on Wednesday. “I’ve had breathing problems since yesterday,” he explained. “I suffered a lot yesterday, and I didn’t feel ‘normal’ today either.”
“I’ve been thinking about this stage for months,” Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet
At the finish line, he therefore lost 3’52” to the winner Remco Evenepoel. “The results are mixed if you look at the standings because he lost a lot of time,” said Anthony. “However, we’re just slightly above what we had expected, namely that he’d lose a minute every ten kilometres. It’s not a disaster. It’s what Guillaume can achieve in a time trial on average”. The Normandy native therefore slipped to twenty-third place overall on the eve of a very special day. “I’ve been thinking about this stage for months, as it passes by my house and my various schools”, Guillaume added. “It will be a great day. From a sporting perspective, the terrain will offer some opportunities, and emotionally, it will for sure be special. I hope to get my legs back and that the home air will help me to show myself on this stage.” Romain Grégoire, two times in the top-5 since the Grand Départ, will also be expected in the explosive final in Vire Normandie. “The idea for him was to keep the pressure on a little today in order to stay in the game for tomorrow,” added Anthony Bouillod.
