There was no surprise in the north of France this Sunday. As usual, the Grand Prix d’Isbergues ended in a bunch sprint after 200 kilometres of racing. Well supported by his teammates in the final, Clément Russo claimed sixth place in an event won by Olav Kooij.
As the final chapter of a week of racing spent between northern France and Belgium, the Groupama-FDJ United cycling team headed to Isbergues this Sunday for the eponymous Grand Prix. Traditionally a race for the sprinters, the event once again unfolded in a way that favored the fast men, with just four riders breaking clear at the start and the peloton remaining in control on a course with no real difficulties. “The long laps were ridden at a very good pace, and the final lap was very fast as we closed in on the breakaway,” explained Tanguy Turgis. With 20 kilometres to go, the riders reached the finishing circuit, which they would complete four times, and the breakaway gradually fell apart before being completely brought back ahead of the final six-kilometre lap. That was when Groupama-FDJ United really came into action. “We were patient,” Tanguy explained. “We were considering getting involved in an aggressive race if things opened up in the final, but the peloton was riding fast and there was no opportunity. Without Paul, we had decided to build the sprint around Clément. Since we didn’t have one of the favourites for the win, it made sense for us to keep a low profile initially.”
“Clément is a safe bet” – Tanguy Turgis
Over the final five kilometres, however, Groupama-FDJ United didn’t move back from the front positions. “Kevin and Karl did a great job throughout the day to protect Clément,” Tanguy continued. “In the final, you really had to be strong to hold your position because the race had been relatively easy and a lot of riders were still very fresh. Titouan, Johan and Axel formed the lead-out train for Clément, and we tried to position him as well as possible.” As the final man in the train, Axel Huens dropped Clément Russo off inside the top ten shortly before the flamme rouge. The experienced rider from Lyon then drew on all his expertise to turn that position into sixth place at the finish. “We were hoping for the podium in a very positive scenario, and perhaps even the top five,” said Tanguy. “In the end, we finished just outside it, but Clément’s consistency spoke once again. He has a great ability to position himself at crucial moments, as he has shown several times on the Tour. He is always up against pure sprinters, so it’s not easy to compete for the win, but his consistency is impressive. He is a safe bet. We couldn’t have expected much more today. We maximized our chances.”
