At the end of a day made difficult by weather conditions, the Classic Velox Adélie de Vitré, the fourth round of the FDJ United Series, concluded this Friday with an uphill sprint. Present in the final despite being hindered in the last few hundred metres, Paul Penhoët secured sixth place at the finish.
The first of four Breton races on the FDJ United Series calendar, the Classic Velox Adélie de Vitré took place this Friday in its “usual” format. As in previous seasons, two circuits had to be covered around the French town: a first 21-kilometer loop ridden five times, followed by a second loop of less than 10 kilometers, completed eight times. Aside from the uphill drag to the line, the finishing circuit —tackled by the peloton after 100 kilometres—included the short climb of La Chenelière, a potential launchpad for attacks. “The idea was to follow moves and possibly initiate some in the last three laps,” explained Yvon Caër. “Otherwise, we still had the option of playing the Paul card in the sprint. At first, Yann rode for more than 100 kilometres. He discovered this role and met expectations. Then Rémi didn’t have great legs and couldn’t fully express himself. Ewen tried with about 20 kilometres to go, but he was closely marked, and it wasn’t hard enough to create a selection. All the teams also had a sprinter capable of winning, so no one really committed.”
“Obviously frustrated” – Yvon Caër
In the final hour of racing, Enzo Paleni also stood out at the front of the peloton. “We absolutely couldn’t afford to be caught off guard, and Enzo did a fantastic job in that respect,” added Yvon. “He was outstanding.” Ultimately, despite the demanding terrain, the peloton was still almost complete at the start of the final lap. “The rain made the race a bit tougher, but it didn’t last all day,” Yvon explained. “There were also only 175 kilometers, which limited the chances of splitting the field. There was never really an opportunity to break the peloton’s uniformity. Moreover, after a favourable crosswind section at the top of the climb, we would face a headwind on the main road back to Vitré, and things would always calm down.” This scenario repeated itself on the last lap, when around twenty riders broke away on the climb of La Chenelière. Ewen Costiou, Enzo Paleni, and Lewis Bower were among them, but everything came back together before the final three kilometres. “The finish in Vitré is always a bit risky, especially on wet roads and with many fresh riders,” Yvon continued.
Coming from behind, Paul Penhoët managed to move up into the top ten positions of the peloton at the flamme rouge, just as they began the crucial descent leading into the city turns and the final uphill stretch to the finish. At the start of the final ramp, the French sprinter was even in fourth position. “Unfortunately, with 200–250 meters to go, he chose the left side and got boxed in behind a rider who was slowing down,” Yvon commented. “He then lost all his speed. That’s sprinting and its uncertainties, but I think without that slowdown, he could have hoped for a podium.” At the line, Paul Penhoët ultimately had to settle for sixth place, a few bike lengths behind the winner, Marc Brustenga. “We are obviously frustrated because when we come to these races with Paul, we aim to win,” Yvon concluded. “There’s always something missing for everything to align and put Paul in a position to win. We didn’t come here for sixth place, but the level is now very even, and everyone is fighting—especially when the distance and difficulty aren’t enough to thin out the field.”
