Keeping the momentum built since last Sunday, the Groupama-FDJ United Cycling Team once again raced aggressively this weekend as the Tour Auvergne–Rhône-Alpes came to a close. Following Clément Berthet’s impressive, albeit unsuccessful, breakaway on Saturday, Clément Braz Afonso went on the attack again on Sunday and ultimately secured his lead in the mountains classification. At the summit of the final climb to Plateau de Solaison, Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet finished 16th, allowing him to slip into the overall top ten (10th). Clément Berthet ended the race in 18th place overall, while Groupama-FDJ United also finished third in the team classification.
Two huge challenges remained on an already demanding menu for the riders this weekend on the roads of the Tour Auvergne–Rhône-Alpes. After a tough appetizer towards Crest-Voland on Friday, two short but brutally mountainous stages (3,800 and 4,000 metres of elevation gain respectively) awaited for the final battles of the week. On Saturday, the peloton headed towards the legendary Grand Colombier (8.5 km at 10%), on a stage that began with three successive climbs, where Clément Braz Afonso was particularly active in defending his white-and-blue polka-dot jersey. After reaching the summit of the first two climbs in first position, he was relieved by Clément Berthet on the third, and the two teammates then found themselves together at the front heading towards the Lacets du Grand Colombier. “The idea was to keep anticipating the race, first to collect points for the mountains jersey, which Clément Braz Afonso did very well, and then with the stage in mind, which is where Clément Berthet came into play,” explained Thierry Bricaud. With sixty kilometres remaining, the breakaway was reduced to six riders, with only one man for Groupama-FDJ United. “The pace in the Lacets was a bit too much for Clément Braz Afonso, who had already spent a lot of energy earlier in the stage,” Thierry continued. “He knew he was no longer in a position to collect more points, so he rode the rest of the day at his own pace in preparation for Sunday’s objective.”
“Clément [Braz Afonso] is full of confidence” – Thierry Bricaud
At the front, Clément Berthet never enjoyed a significant advantage over the peloton. It was enough for him to crest both the Lacets du Grand Colombier and the penultimate climb, the Col de Richemond, in first place, but his adventure came to an end ahead of the final ascent. “The race scenario was a bit crazy, and the peloton never really eased off,” Thierry explained. “The circumstances meant that the breakaway riders never had much of a lead, which prevented them from staying away longer. Nevertheless, it was excellent in terms of attitude. Clément also rode a strong stage, which helped boost his confidence moving forward.” On the brutally steep slopes of the Grand Colombier, Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet fought hard to limit his losses and eventually finished 17th at the summit, sliding to 11th place overall. As a conclusion, the Alpine showdown of this 78th edition of the Tour Auvergne–Rhône-Alpes awaited on Sunday, featuring the Col du Pré, Montée de Bisanne, Col des Aravis and Plateau de Solaison. Over 120 kilometres of relentless ups and downs, Clément Braz Afonso once again attacked from the gun. “I knew I needed to come over the first two climbs in first place to secure the jersey,” said Clément. “I really wanted to be in the breakaway, and I managed to make it, so I’m very happy.”
Accompanied by seven other riders, the 26-year-old first took the maximum points on the Col du Pré (7 km at 10%), before definitively securing the mountains classification by reaching the summit of the Montée de Bisanne (11 km at 7.7%) in first place. “On paper, it looked achievable to take the points on the first two climbs, but you still have to do it on the road,” Thierry pointed out. “Clément handled it perfectly and went out to claim those points in style. You don’t achieve something like that by chance after a full week of racing, especially after spending so much energy as he did. He’s riding extremely well and he’s full of confidence. That’s the most important thing.” Although his polka-dot jersey victory was already secured, Clément Braz Afonso continued his breakaway effort, although the peloton never let the leaders more than 2 minutes 30 seconds of a gap. The escapees still managed to reach the Col des Aravis first, but by the end of the long valley leading to the foot of the final climb, their lead had shrunk to around thirty seconds. The breakaway was quickly caught, the battle among the favourites began almost immediately, and Isaac del Toro soared to victory for the second consecutive day. Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet reached the summit 4 minutes and 12 seconds later in 16th place, while Clément Berthet crossed the line 4 minutes and 44 seconds behind the winner in 19th position. “Guillaume hung on really well and Clément tried to stay in contention too,” commented Thierry.
“Everything is on track” – Thierry Bricaud
Thanks to a well-managed final climb, the French climber secured 10th place overall, while his teammate moved up to 18th place in the final standings. “We had three objectives at the start: secure the polka-dot jersey, a top-10 finish overall for Guillaume, and possibly win the team classification,” concluded Thierry. “We fell just short of the last goal, but in terms of attitude, we’re extremely satisfied with what the riders showed throughout the week. Beyond the results, that’s what we’ll remember most. The group was motivated and always willing to hit the front in pursuit of results. Commitment was there at every moment, and that’s the attitude we need to continue showing if we want to perform. Each rider followed a different approach, but this week shows their preparation was good, and some know they still have room for improvement before the Tour de France. Everything is on track, and confidence is high. That’s what matters most.” Having secured his first secondary classification win in a WorldTour race, Clément Braz Afonso could only agree. “When I look back on my week, I can be satisfied,” he concluded. “I’m leaving with two stage top-10 finishes and this polka-dot jersey, which I really had to fight for. That’s why I’m proud of it. I loved wearing it throughout the week, but I was determined to finish the race with it. I’ve achieved that, so I’m really happy.”
