Promised to the sprinters, the seventh and final stage of Tirreno-Adriatico did indeed end in a bunch sprint in San Benedetto del Tronto, but it was nevertheless a very eventful day. Clément Braz Afonso therefore stayed attentive when a group of around thirty riders broke away on the second climb of the day, before the peloton came back together and headed towards a bunch finish dominated by Jonathan Milan. The Groupama-FDJ United rider thus confirmed his 16th place overall.
Along the Adriatic coast, the final act of the “Race of the Two Seas” featured a pancake-flat profile for three quarters of the course, especially across the final 80 kilometres. However, two long rolling climbs appeared after just twenty kilometres and proved capable, this Sunday, of putting the sprinters under pressure. On the second climb in particular, Mathieu van der Poel launched an acceleration that immediately split the peloton in two. “Every year there is a bit of a battle between the different sprinters teams,” explained Yvon Caër. “That was again the case this year, and Mathieu van der Poel especially put on a big show for about an hour. Our main concern was to stay attentive at that moment so that Clément would be in the right group. When that split of around thirty riders happened, he was there, and it was the most important thing.” While Mathieu van der Poel kept pushing for nearly fifty kilometres at the head of the favourites’ group, the sprinters’ peloton eventually made the junction during the first lap around San Benedetto del Tronto.
“A constructive week”– Yvon Caër
A few attacks then emerged during the final hour of racing, but the sprinters ultimately prevailed. “As we didn’t have a sprinter, we didn’t want to take risks in the final, and it proved to be the right decision as we saw another crash approaching the finish,” Yvon said. All the Groupama-FDJ United riders crossed the line safely, allowing Clément Braz Afonso to secure his sixteenth place in the general classification. “Jussi and I are very satisfied with the team’s commitment and especially with Clément’s progression,” Yvon Caër said when reflecting on the week. “There was solidarity, the will to do well, and Clément showed some very good things. We went as far as we could in every difficult stage. We are realistic: we didn’t have a major leader or a sprinter, but we had a constructive week that will probably be positive for the races to come.”
