Last Sunday, “La Conti” Groupama-FDJ officially launched its season in Africa. After an unusual opening team time trial on the Tour of Rwanda, Jérôme Gannat’s riders took a top-10 on each of the following three road stages, also being on the attack from time to time. On Wednesday, Brieuc Rolland went for a solo of about thirty kilometers before being caught very close to the finish. He also sits seventh overall before the last four stages.
For the first time in its history, and as a return to racing in 2024, “La Conti” was set to compete in a race outside Europe. On February 18, Jérôme Gannat’s men began the Tour du Rwanda in the capital Kigali, where the race opened with a team time trial of eighteen kilometers. However, this day only awarded a stage result and didn’t count for the general classification. “It was a very nice time trial, on some of the route of the 2025 Worlds time trial,” said Jérôme. “The popular enthusiasm was exceptional. It wasn’t really technical, and there were some rolling parts. The organization authorized time trial bikes, but due to the travel, we did not bring them. We started with a sure disadvantage, but the goal was still to do it 100% in order to make a first effort at an altitude of 1600 metres. That’s what the guys did.” Brieuc Rolland, Joshua Golliker, Colin Savioz, Ronan Augé and Ben Askey eventually obtained eighth place on the day, and third among the teams which didn’t have the right equipment. “It was a great performance,” said Jérôme. “They showed that they were ready for this Tour of Rwanda.”
Colin Savioz forced to abandon
Monday, 130 kilometers were on the menu for the second stage between Muhanga and Kibeho, with a possible sprint in the end. “It was a typical race scenario, due to the presence of the ProTeams,” added Jérôme. “In the final, a few attacks in the climbs created a selection from the back, but the sprint finish was almost inevitable.” Itamar Einhorn (Israel-Premier Tech) then took the stage win, with Brieuc Rolland slipping into the top-10 (9th). Joshua Golliker and Colin Savioz also finished in this first bunch of around fifty units. Towards Rusizi, on Tuesday, the third stage created more damage, on a route featuring almost 3,400 metres of elevation gain. “On paper, it could look like a mountain stage,” Jérôme said. “We started at 1500 metres, but we got to 2600 metres of altitude at one point. In the first half of the race, we even climbed for forty kilometres, in various stages. In the end, the pace was ok, and there was no big selection.” The real differences were actually made on a downhill in the forest, around thirty kilometres from the finish. “The road was a little damaged, and there were only around thirty riders left for the last climb, including Brieuc and Colin,” Jérôme explained. “There were quite a few attacks on the climb, some riders were dropped, then the descent also eliminated a few others, including Colin unfortunately.”
After coming off the road, Colin Savioz hit a tree and was therefore unable to follow the right group to the end while his teammate was battling for victory. “William Lecerf Junior broke away on the last hill, but without making a big gap,” explained Jérôme. “Brieuc followed an attack of Latour, dropped him on the descent, joined Lecerf five kilometres from the finish, but they were caught with two kilometres to go”. A sprint of around fifteen men therefore concluded the day, and Brieuc Rolland once again grabbed ninth place, moving up to seventh overall. On Wednesday, “La Conti” however took the start of stage 4 in Karongi, for just 93 kilometers towards Rubavu, without Colin Savioz, out due to thigh and Achilles tendon pains. “There was a lot of action at the start of the race, and given that Joshua had lost a lot of time on Tuesday, he had the opportunity to slip into the breakaways,” continued Jérôme. “He tried a lot but missed the move of Pierre Latour, who went alone from the bottom of the biggest climb at kilometre 20.” The Frenchman then led the race, but without a huge margin over the rest of the peloton. After another long, rolling climb shortly after halfway, and as the gap was only forty seconds, Brieuc Rolland decided to go for it.
“Brieuc deserves better”, Jérôme Gannat
“In the long descending section, he quickly caught and dropped Latour,” Jérôme said. “His gap went up to 35-40 seconds, but then it got a bit difficult because the peloton pulled hard on the last climb. The gap reduced, and he only had around ten seconds left at the top. He kept this lead on the descent, but on the last part along Lake Kivu, he was caught, after having fought well despite the headwind and the slight uphill”. The young Frenchman surrendered a little less than three kilometres from the finish, then twenty-two riders battled in a sprint. “The surprise of the day comes from Ben, who was in this group after having gone through all the climbs with the best,” said Jérôme. “He had a good position, but he took the outside, and due to the two curves in the final, the door closed for him. He was a bit stuck and couldn’t do better than seventh while the podium was possible.” Brieuc Rolland finished eleventh in the stage, maintaining his seventh place overall with the second half of the event remaining. “We know Brieuc,” added Jérôme. “He is a rider who is always there when it gets hard, but he is missing this victory which would do him so much good. He was opportunistic today. It was a bold move to go 35 kilometres, but he tried and it almost succeeded. We would like, and he too, for it to materialize with big results, because he has the capabilities, and he is in good form. We hope it will happen in the coming days. For now, his efforts aren’t rightly rewarded. He deserves better.”
After four stages, eighteen riders find themselves within seven seconds, on a Tour of Rwanda which does not offer bonus seconds. “Thursday, it’s a thirteen-kilometre time trial uphill, at 4-5%,” Jérôme concluded. “There will already be gaps, and that can set the GC situation a little. On this terrain, Brieuc can do well. There are still good opportunities, like Friday with the summit finish in Mount Kigali. Saturday, it could be for the sprinters, but it depends on who will take control. On Sunday, the stage will take place on the 2025 World Cup circuit in Kigali, where it will again be challenging. Brieuc certainly has the physical condition to make the top-10 overall.”
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