This is certainly not the outcome that the Groupama-FDJ United Cycling Team had imagined for the second stage of the TPC in Nouvelle-Aquitaine. This Wednesday, the end of the day did not go the way of Rémi Cavagna, Paul Penhoët and their teammates. The time trial specialist lost valuable time in the general classification after being caught behind a split following a crash in the final. As for the fast man, he finished sixth in the sprint, while his teammate Matteo Milan (12th) was unable to really make his mark. Thursday’s individual time trial will therefore be all the more decisive.
After the 200 kilometres scheduled for this Wednesday at the TPC in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, another bunch sprint was anticipated, following the one won by Milan Fretin ahead of Paul Penhoët the previous day. Five riders nevertheless attempted to put the peloton under pressure, without ever being a genuine threat. Several teams joined forces to manage the chase, including Groupama-FDJ United, and after a rather straightforward day, the breakaway was brought back with ten kilometres to go. It was from that point onwards, however, that things took a difficult turn for William Green and Tanguy Turgis’ men. “We worked well throughout the stage, but I feel that we were missing something on the finishing circuit,” explained the New Zealander. “Small mistakes added up and eventually affected one another. As a result, we entered the final five kilometres in a difficult position, and it was complicated for us to manage.” The first major turning point came five kilometres from the finish, when a major crash occurred. “Rémi got caught behind the crash, and at that point, the pace was obviously full gas,” William recalled. “There was a bit of confusion because the radio wasn’t working properly and we didn’t have any television images. He could have been better positioned, but it’s easy to say that afterwards. It was still a big crash.”
“We have the best specialists on the start line” – William Green
The crash resulted in the French time trial champion, and pre-race favourite, crossing the finish line 37 seconds behind the main peloton. “It’s definitely a blow for Rémi and for the team, because we know he’s in great form,” William continued. “We hope he can bounce back and show what he’s capable of tomorrow.” As for the day’s sprint, it also fell short of expectations, with Paul Penhoët taking sixth place and Matteo Milan 12th. “The plan was to go for Matteo, and for Paul to open the sprint early to put pressure on the other sprinters in order to help Matteo,” William explained. “We knew that the corner 400 metres from the finish would make things complicated. Paul managed to take it in a decent position, but Matteo found himself too far back. The accumulation of small mistakes in the final meant that we couldn’t execute the original plan. It’s a shame, because it was a real opportunity for Matteo, who has shown that he can be competitive at this level. We’re a little disappointed tonight, but there’s a time trial tomorrow, and we have the best specialists on the start line. Then there will still be one more stage after that, giving us another opportunity to aim for a strong sprint. This TPC en Nouvelle-Aquitaine isn’t over yet.”
