A final day that perfectly reflected the previous three weeks. On Sunday, following the same pattern as the entirety of their Vuelta, the Groupama-FDJ United cycling team put itself in the spotlight during the closing stage in Granada. Launched by his teammates, Bastien Tronchon himself blew the race apart with 30 kilometres to go and was rewarded at the finish with a strong fifth place. Clément Berthet, meanwhile, secured eighth place overall, completing an extremely solid Vuelta, while Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet held on to eleventh place. A successful Grand Tour, from start to finish.
For a change, it was not Madrid but Granada that hosted the conclusion of the Vuelta on Sunday. For the 21st and final stage, the peloton even had the chance to climb above the Andalusian city and reach the iconic Alhambra, through a two-kilometre ascent averaging 6.5%, which the riders had to tackle four times over the final 40 kilometres. This was therefore anything but a straightforward day. “We were a little apprehensive about this circuit, which was fairly selective and technical, and presented a few dangers,” explained Benoît Vaugrenard. “Even though the times were frozen with one lap to go, we weren’t immune to some kind of incident affecting Clément, so that was a source of stress for him and his teammates. At the same time, we also had a plan for Bastien. We knew it was a course that suited him, and he had had it in mind for several days.” After the opening part of the race made room for a few celebrations, the real battle began around 30 kilometres from the finish, at the end of the first lap of the local circuit.
“I’m already looking forward to pinning on a number again” – Bastien Tronchon
“The most important thing was to be well positioned, because we knew it would be difficult to move back up afterwards,” Benoît added. “We said in the briefing that we wouldn’t hesitate to take control of the race and attack from the second climb. On this kind of circuit, it’s better to be at the front, even if it means making efforts, rather than having to deal with the repeated accelerations. We know Bastien’s potential, we knew we could achieve something as a team, and we said we were going to take every risk. That’s exactly what the team did brilliantly, with Enzo and Olivier.” And so, with 30 kilometres to go, on the second climb towards the Alhambra, Bastien Tronchon was launched by his teammates before making the first selection himself, reducing the leading group to around half a dozen riders. “I wanted to have absolutely no regrets, so I preferred to do too much rather than not enough,” explained the French rider. “I really enjoyed it, and the guys gave me a great launch. That was the plan, and when the plan unfolds the way you want it to, things generally go well.” Initially getting clear alongside some of the best puncheurs, Bastien Tronchon was then joined by a small peloton of around 40 riders, including Rudy Molard and Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet. The third passage towards the Alhambra did not produce any significant attacks, but the riders then entered the final lap — while the times were frozen — and everything exploded on the last ascent of the day.
The best climbers tried to make the most of their opportunity, while Bastien Tronchon dug deep to come over the summit just behind a handful of riders. “He had already made a lot of efforts beforehand, but he had to hang on, and he wasn’t riding alongside just anyone,” Benoît pointed out. “He came back on the descent with Brennan, and then in the final it became tactical and he had to make a choice.” Over the final five flat kilometres, Bastien Tronchon kept a low profile. “I had done much more than the others during the first few laps, so I decided to do less towards the end and let Brennan take over,” he explained. “It was up to him to ride.” The Briton, however, did not respond to the decisive move with two kilometres remaining, and three riders went clear to fight for the victory. Behind them, Bastien Tronchon produced one final sprint to secure a place in the top five. “We wanted to race aggressively, and that’s exactly what he did very well,” said Benoît. “He rode a superb race and has absolutely nothing to regret. It’s a great fifth place. After a difficult start to the season because of injuries, he has shown his full potential on this Vuelta: a stage win, numerous strong results, and the ability to finish like this today!” “I hope this Vuelta will help me take another step forward,” added the rider himself. “It’s the first Grand Tour that I’ve finished strongly. I’m still in good shape and motivated, and since my season really only started on this Vuelta, I’m already looking forward to pinning on a number again!”
“I’m proving to myself that I can do it” – Clément Berthet
Among the reasons for celebration, Clément Berthet also secured his eighth place overall. A significant achievement for the 29-year-old rider, who had been forced to abandon the Tour on its very first stage in July. “It’s highly satisfying,” he said. “I wanted to do well after an average first season with the team, and I’m extremely happy that it paid off here. It’s my first top 10 in a WorldTour race, and on top of that, it’s a Grand Tour! I’m proving to myself that I can do it. I’ve believed it for a while, but it was taking some time to happen. I hope this will help me take another step forward, particularly mentally. I was very close to my top level for three weeks, and I now know what it takes to finish in the top 10 of a Grand Tour. It opens up some exciting prospects for the future.” “We’ll obviously remember the eighth place, but we have to look at his entire race,” Benoît insisted. “He was never tense because of the pressure, he never faltered mentally, he showed real ability in the time trial, he was never caught out technically, and even yesterday he showed that he belonged there on a high-mountain stage of exceptional difficulty. He ticked a lot of boxes, and there are many positives to take from his performance.”
More broadly, the entire Vuelta proved to be a resounding success for Groupama-FDJ United: one stage victory, seven top-10 finishes, and eighth and eleventh places in the final overall standings. “We obviously would have signed up for such a result,” Benoît concluded. “We also finished fourth in the teams’ classification! It’s been more than a successful Vuelta, and above all, the group’s momentum was good from start to finish. Besides Clément and Bastien, I don’t want to forget everyone else who did the work: Olivier, Enzo, Rudy, Valentin and Rémy. And finally, a special mention for Guillaume, an example of fighting spirit.”
