Luck has not been on Paul Penhoët’s side lately. Unable to sprint last week in Fourmies after being blocked, the young French rider was once again ruled out this Sunday in Isbergues, but this time due to a crash in the final straight. Although he managed to get up and cross the finish line, apparently without too much damage, he saw another opportunity slip away. Clément Russo finished 14th.
Another fight among sprinters in the North of France was scheduled this Sunday. After Fourmies, it was in Isbergues that the fast men were set to face, on a slightly hilly course around the halfway point, but nonetheless clearly favourable to a sprint. “There was a breakaway of four riders who got a maximum lead of 3’20 throughout the day,” William Green introduced. “Visma-Lease a Bike controlled most of the day, until the race became very hectic after about seventy kilometres. We had some rain, and very muddy, dirty roads! Nearly thirty riders punctured, and it was very nervous. Then, the peloton came back really close to the breakaway after 110 kilometers. Dries de Bondt made the junction and other riders were dropped from the break. It ended up with only Gianni Vermeersch and De Bondt at the front at the start of the finishing circuit, where a combination of a few teams were working”.
“It’s really disappointing,” William Green
The Belgian duo then maintained a margin of less than thirty seconds for around forty kilometres, as four laps of the Isbergues circuit, twelve kilometers long but without difficulty, were to be completed. The breakaway eventually got caught just before starting the final lap, fourteen kilometres from the finish. “For us, the plan was to be in front with ten kilometres to go and really stay there by using several riders,” explained William. “The boys stuck to the plan really well. Johan and Clément rode pulled early, then Lewis and Titouan gave some support in the last ten kilometres. We knew we needed numbers in the final, we were patient, and we did our job. We were ready for an acceleration when we came off the small road five kilometers from the finish, and we managed the situation really well. In the closing two kilometers, it was very difficult, as it often is, but in the end, Clément was still able to bring Paul in the top ten positions into the final corner”.
Paul Penhoët then had to deliver his sprint, but he was only able to do so for a fraction of a second before crashing out, less than 300 metres from the finish line. “Unfortunately, Paul and Hugo Hofstetter came into contact, and it was the end of it all,” William said. “It’s really disappointing after a really good team effort and a huge improvement from Fourmies last weekend. Paul seems to be ok, even though he’s obviously lost a lot of skin, especially with the impact on his right knee. However, he’s really upset. He did everything well, he motivated the team all day, and he was ready for today. Today was the day to put his name back in the results, and he didn’t get the opportunity to do that…” Therefore, Clément Russo was the first rider from the team to cross the line, in 14th position.
