The Groupama-FDJ cycling team once again experienced a frustrating sprint this Wednesday on the Omloop van het Houtland. Despite good preparatory work, Paul Penhoët was once again blocked towards the finish and narrowly avoided a crash just before the flamme rouge. Although he was able to stay in the peloton’s wake, he didn’t have enough time to come back and had to settle for 14th place at the finish line, two positions behind Matt Walls (12th).
On a perfectly flat route between Eernegem and Lichtervelde, any outcome other than a sprint seemed impossible this Wednesday on the Omloop van het Houtland. The Groupama-FDJ cycling team was therefore supporting Paul Penhoët at the start of the day’s 199 kilometres, which initially proved quite calm. “The beginning of the race wasn’t very hard, and a small breakaway went clear”, explained William Green. “We then came to the local circuit, which we did nine and a half times, and there were definitely times where it was really stressful. At some point the peloton was in two or three, and there were also a lot of crashes due to the very strong wind. We didn’t expect the last circuit to be that difficult because the section of crosswind wasn’t very long, but since the wind was quite strong, there were a lot of nervous riders and a lot of crashes, which we avoided for the most part.” The early breakaway was caught almost thirty kilometres from the finish line, several attacks occurred in the last two laps (each twelve kilometers), but none made a proper difference. Also, the Groupama-FDJ cycling team proved extremely attentive in the final lap.
“My motivation remains intact,” Paul Penhoët
“We did a really strong ride as a team, especially in the final, with a really big work from the likes of Johan in the last crosswind section, and with Cyril bringing back Paul in the last two kilometres,” William added. “Unfortunately, just before the critical corner at 1.1 kilometre, Paul was squeezed by two riders and dropped his chain.” The young Frenchman managed to avoid a crash despite the contact but found himself in the back. With the final kilometre being completed at full speed, he couldn’t come back to the front, but he still fought to take fourteenth place. “It’s getting harder and harder to accept, for sure,” Paul said. “We’ve worked really well as a team in the last few races, but each time we’ve been ruled out of the sprint through no fault of our own. When I lose the wheel or take a bad corner, I only have myself to blame, but lately, it’s really been external factors that stopped us. It’s really frustrating, but I’ve been through worse. I’ve experienced a lot of things in my career, much more serious ones. It was already hard in Isbergues, because I crashed on the knee that went through surgery, and I was in real pain, but I still took the start today. I rode and fought for position as if nothing had happened, without thinking about crashing. I know how to get over it. It shows that my motivation remains intact and that I’m still aiming to win with the team by the end of the season.”
