Maxime Decomble may not have been the most eagerly anticipated rider from the Groupama-FDJ United cycling team on Thursday, for the individual time trial that served as the third stage of the TPC en Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Yet it was indeed he who triumphed after 27 kilometres of solo effort, beating his teammate and French national time trial champion Rémi Cavagna by 28 seconds at the finish, thereby securing his very first professional victory. To top it all off, he also took the race lead on the eve of the final stage to Poitiers.
Usually decisive for the final general classification, the time trial of the TPC en Nouvelle-Aquitaine was held between Cherves and Vouillé this year, over a 27-kilometre course with no major difficulties. “It was a very flat course, suited to specialists, with some false-flat uphill sections where you had to avoid cracking, especially as they were located in the second half of the race,” explained team coach Anthony Bouillod. “You still had to manage your effort well.” Wearing his French champion’s jersey, Rémi Cavagna naturally attracted all eyes on this third stage, but he started relatively early, just one hour after the time trial got underway. “During our simulation yesterday, we saw that the conditions could improve for the later starters,” Anthony continued. “The riders were therefore advised during the briefing to position themselves towards the front so they could start fairly late today. Unfortunately, as we know, Rémi was caught behind a crash, which cost him time and forced him to start a little earlier than Maxime today. When he set off, the road was still slightly wet over the first third of the course following showers in the early afternoon, whereas it was completely dry for the later starters. There was also a slight change in the wind.”
“I’m happy to show that I’ve made progress” – Maxime Decomble
Despite this, Rémi Cavagna lived up to his status as the overwhelming favourite, setting the fastest time at every intermediate checkpoint before stopping the clock at 30:51. “His performance lived up to expectations,” Anthony confirmed. “He had a pacing plan, with a power level he needed to maintain, and he stuck to it.” Over the following hour, several riders came close and threatened his time, but none managed to take his place in the “hot seat”. Before the final 20 riders set off, he therefore remained in the lead. But at 4:42 p.m., Maxime Decomble appeared on the start ramp, and the young Frenchman made an immediate impression at the first intermediate checkpoint, after nine kilometres, as he was already three seconds ahead of his teammate. The gap increased to 14 seconds after almost 20 kilometres of racing. In the final section, the former rider from “La Conti” showed no sign of slowing down and took the fastest time with a mark of 30:23, almost 30 seconds faster than Rémi Cavagna. “I’m really pleased with my effort,” he said. “We had planned a pacing strategy, but I was feeling really good and you have to know how to adapt. I was always a little higher, and Tanguy was pushing me. I was also lucky to start on a dry course, and I had Rémi’s split times, which helped me. I felt great, I was managing to gain time and then push even harder. It’s a really great feeling.”
“The time difference is not entirely due to the conditions, but certainly partly,” Anthony explained, before adding: “I think Maxime’s power numbers were slightly above what had been planned. It is a continuation of his Tour du Limousin, where he finished very strongly in his role of protecting the yellow jersey. Today, he put in a huge time trial and really made the most of his qualities on the uphill sections. Excellent pacing, very good physical condition, and an outstanding performance at the finish.”It was a performance that no other competitor was able to match, earning Maxime Decomble his first professional victory. “I’m absolutely delighted, and I’m very proud,” he said. “I had a start to the season with quite a few WorldTour races, but that gave me a solid base and helped me take a step up. I’m happy to show today that I’ve made progress, particularly in the time trial, which is a discipline I really enjoy.” “It’s really fantastic,” Anthony celebrated. “His start to the season, mainly at WorldTour level, has helped him progress. He also completed an altitude training camp in July, with the aim of reaching a peak of form for these races. That is what has enabled him to claim his first professional victory, and hopefully a second one tomorrow.”
Thanks to his dominant victory, the 21-year-old naturally took over the lead in the general classification, heading into the final stage with a 33-second advantage over his nearest rival. “Tomorrow, the priority will obviously be to keep the jersey,” Anthony concluded. “We’ll need to ride a strong race so that we reach the final kilometres with everyone together. If that is the case, and Maxime’s position is secured, it will also give us the opportunity to go for the sprint.”
