He had been looking forward to it, and this Sunday, Romain Grégoire finally got the chance to make his racing debut in his new French national champion’s jersey during Stage 2 of the Tour de France. On a course also suited to his abilities, the young puncher rose to the occasion and proudly represented his new colours. On the explosive Montjuïc circuit in Barcelona, he fought alongside the race favourites and claimed an excellent seventh place at the finish. It marked the team’s second top-10 finish in as many days, with Romain Grégoire now sitting seventh overall before the race heads into France on Monday.
The day after the opening individual time trial in the Catalan capital, the peloton returned to Barcelona on Sunday for the first road stage, although this time the start was given in Tarragona, around 100 kilometres away. Before tackling a demanding 12-kilometre finishing circuit featuring the steep Montjuïc Castle climb (1.6 km at 9%), to be repeated three times, the riders first faced a long stretch along the Mediterranean coast. This allowed an early three-man breakaway to form, although the escapees were caught before reaching the first ascent of the finishing circuit. The growing tension in the bunch led to a full regrouping ahead of the first climb of Montjuic, where UAE Team Emirates immediately set a fierce pace, reducing the peloton by well over a hundred riders. Romain Grégoire, Lorenzo Germani, Quentin Pacher and Clément Braz Afonso all made the front group, but Grégoire and Germani were soon forced into a bike change after the French champion suffered a puncture. “The bike change was really quick,” explained Romain. “I got going again at the back of the group, so I didn’t waste too much energy in the process.” However, the incident cost him one teammate, and a few kilometres later he lost another when Quentin Pacher’s progress was halted by a flag into his rear derailleur.
“The fact that Romain was there is very encouraging” – Yvon Caër
As the riders approached the penultimate ascent of Montjuïc, Romain was able to rely on Clément Braz Afonso’s support before becoming Groupama-FDJ United’s sole representative in a front group of around thirty riders heading into the final lap. “I suffered quite early because of the heat and the pace, but I think a lot of riders did” said Romain. “I managed to hang on through the first two laps, and on the last one I was right at the back of the group, but I really dug deep. I was expecting Pogacar to attack near the summit, and I actually thought that’s where I’d finally get dropped because I no longer had the legs to accelerate. In the end, nothing happened, and that worked in my favour because it allowed me to stay with them over the top.” Although the attacks weren’t the sharpest on the final climb, only around fifteen riders remained at the front by the summit, including every GC contender. “It came down to pure legs on a very demanding climb,” stressed Yvon Caër. “Looking at who was left, it was mainly punchy climbers, and all the big favourites were there. The fact that Romain was among them is very encouraging.” The French champion then tried to recover as best he could during the short descent before the final uphill drag to the finish (600 metres at 7%).
“I’m right in the mix” – Romain Grégoire
“That final uphill finish suited me a little better,” Romain continued. “I managed to move up a few places, but I wasn’t able to fight with the very best.” At the finish, he secured an impressive seventh place, just three seconds behind stage winner Isaac del Toro. “The bike change didn’t really make any difference in the end,” he said. “I don’t think I would have achieved a significantly different result on my own bike. It may have been a little less comfortable, but Lorenzo’s size is very close to mine. The result is pretty much what I expected. In a battle against the Tour favourites, I’m not yet able to fight for the win, but I’m right in the mix. I’m not far off, and my legs feel good. Now I just have to wait for the right opportunity in a breakaway, and maybe that will be my chance.” “We have no regrets,” added Yvon. “Without the puncture, maybe we could have finished in the top five, but victory would have been difficult regardless. Seventh place is something we’re pleased with. I’m also very happy with the team’s work before the first climb. There are a lot of positive signs. Even though we’ve had our share of bad luck over the last two days, we’ve still come away with two top-10 finishes. We have to keep building on that momentum.”
On Monday, the race heads towards Les Angles for Stage 3, which is expected to present a very different challenge, while Romain Grégoire will start the day seventh overall. “It could be a very hard-fought stage and perhaps the first real opportunity for a successful breakaway,” concluded Yvon Caër. “It’s up to us to seize that opportunity, just as we did so well at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and the Tour de Suisse.”
