The final round of the 2026 FDJ United Series did not go the way Groupama-FDJ United Cycling Team had hoped this Sunday. The French squad did try everything to leave the Tour de Vendée with a top result, but neither the early breakaway featuring Axel Huens, Thibaud Gruel and Olivier Le Gac, nor Enzo Paleni’s move inside the final 50 kilometres bore fruit. Matteo Milan, meanwhile, did not have the legs to challenge for the win in the final sprint. A disappointing outcome given the efforts invested throughout the race.
The day after the Cholet Agglo Tour, the peloton moved into the neighbouring department for the Tour de Vendée, the fourteenth and final round of the FDJ United Series. With the route for the 53rd edition featuring relatively little elevation gain, everything pointed towards a bunch finish in Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie after 200 kilometres. However, the opening part of the race saw the formation of a large 18-rider breakaway, which included Thibaud Gruel, Axel Huens and Olivier Le Gac. “We had anticipated this scenario,” explained Thierry Bricaud. “The first 40 kilometres were not easy, with small roads, and we expected a large group could get away and spend the day up the road. If that happened, we had to be present with numbers, and the guys did that perfectly. Unfortunately, the breakaway never gained much time because some riders were not contributing, or were contributing very little, as their teams really wanted a sprint. That created a bit of chaos in the breakaway and disrupted the group.” The gap between the two groups remained around one minute for a long time, before falling to just 30 seconds with 70 kilometres to go. “The pace was hard all day,” Thierry stressed.
“The team race aggressively and enjoyed doing it” – Thierry Bricaud
Part of the original breakaway remained out front for a while, but the peloton eventually regrouped with around 50 kilometres to go. A series of attacks followed, and Enzo Paleni managed to form another move alongside another rider. Together, they built a 30-second advantage, but the peloton quickly organized the chase. “We didn’t want to have the burden of controlling the race,” Thierry explained. “It was a good thing for Enzo to get up the road, especially with the final criterium-style circuit. On a course like that, you know a breakaway can go far.” As the race approached the final circuit, however, the peloton closed the gap quickly, and the young Groupama-FDJ United rider was caught with six kilometres to go, two laps from the finish. “That left us with the sprint option with Matteo,” Thierry continued. “They struggled a little to find each other in the final because everyone was exhausted and the peloton was quite disorganized approaching the sprint. Matteo fought well all day, but like many others, he finished with very little left in the tank. He had to brake with 2.5 kilometres to go, which took even more out of his legs. When the sprint came, he simply had no energy left.”
Although his teammates moved him up in the final, the Italian sprinter was therefore unable to challenge for the victory and had to settle for 14th place. “It’s a shame, but we have no regrets because Matteo simply didn’t have the legs to show what he could do,” Thierry concluded. “Collectively, the riders gave the commitment that was needed, and we still secured the team classification in the FDJ United Series. What we should take from the weekend is that the team raced aggressively and enjoyed doing it. It is with that mindset that we will go out and chase victories. In any case, we have riders who are ready to finish the season strongly.”
