The Classics season is underway! From Ghent to Ninove, the peloton tackled the Omloop Nieuwsblad on Saturday, the traditional first “Flemish Classic” of the season. With a squad reshaped over the winter, Groupama-FDJ United struggled a bit on the Belgian climbs and was also hit by bad luck. Thibaud Gruel eventually finished the day in 28th place, two minutes behind winner Mathieu van der Poel.
Eight cobbled sectors and twelve “bergs”: that was the program—slightly tougher than last year—for the season opener in Flanders. As in recent seasons, the Muur–Bosberg sequence in the final fifteen kilometers promised to be decisive, but the weather also made this 81st edition of Omloop Nieuwsblad more demanding. “There was rain at times and it wasn’t very warm,” explained Frédéric Guesdon. “It was a tough opening race for the first outing of our young squad. We started with Thibaud, Bastien and Valentin as leaders, and the others had to support them as best as possible. Tactically, it worked fairly well.” The first half of the race proved quite straightforward behind a five-man breakaway, but tension increased—and crashes multiplied—entering the final 80 kilometres. Bastien Tronchon was the first to suffer a minor setback, before Valentin Madouas was caught in a crash and forced to change bikes around 60 kilometers from the finish, just as the peloton was fully engaged on the climbs.
“We expected something different” – Frédéric Guesdon
It was a little later, 45 kilometres from the finish, that things really exploded on the Molenberg, where three riders—including Mathieu van der Poel—broke away from the peloton. “We know that every year the race is decided between the Eikenberg and the Molenberg, and that’s what happened,” said Frédéric. “Only three riders managed to get clear. We were present behind, but we also had quite a bit of bad luck. Valentin crashed a second time while trying to move back toward the convoy. Cyril crashed, Clément too, and then Johan also before the Muur. Axel was stopped and taken out of contention in that same crash. Bastien, meanwhile, was not having a great day and was disappointed with his race.” In a reduced peloton, one minute behind Van der Poel, only Thibaud Gruel remained for Groupama-FDJ United. “Unfortunately, he was close to bonking,” Frédéric commented. “On the Muur, he felt his energy fading, and that lack of fuel is what cost him. He actually felt good otherwise, and logically he could have finished in the group that sprinted for fourth place.”In Ninove, Mathieu van der Poel ultimately claimed victory solo, while Thibaud Gruel outsprinted around twenty riders to secure 28th place two minutes later. “We expected something different today,” Frédéric emphasized. “It’s a shame because we were highly motivated and came for a much better result. It’s disappointing, but we must not give up. That’s cycling, and these races in Belgium bring highs and lows. We took a hit today, and we’ll use it to bounce back tomorrow and Tuesday.”
