The opening part of the Tour de Pologne unfortunately did not go the way of Groupama-FDJ United Cycling Team, and Paul Penhoët in particular. Although the first three stages all ended in bunch sprints, the young Frenchman never truly had the chance to fight for the victory or fully showcase his abilities. His best result came on Wednesday with 13th place, as the race now heads into more demanding terrain.
The 83rd edition of the Tour de Pologne got underway on Monday in Gdynia, in northern Poland on the Baltic Sea coast. From there, the peloton headed west towards Koszalin for a relatively flat opening stage, although it featured over 234 kilometres. “We didn’t want to focus exclusively on the sprint because it was such a long stage and we thought there could be some action,” explained Frédéric Guesdon. “We wanted to stay alert just in case, and Rudy did well to follow an early move. He picked up two bonus seconds before easing off. There were only five riders up the road, and the last intermediate sprint was still a long way off, so there was no point in pushing any further.” As expected, the peloton had little difficulty bringing back the breakaway survivors in the closing kilometres before setting up the first sprint finish of the week. “We got it wrong,” admitted Frédéric. “It was a comeback race for many of the riders, they were lacking some coordination, and sprints in Poland are usually pretty chaotic. On that first day, we got overwhelmed.” Axel Huens and Paul Penhoët eventually crossed the line together, around top-20. On Tuesday, however, another opportunity awaited in Szczecin after a much shorter 150-kilometre stage. “We had put things back in order within the team because we knew we were capable of showing much more than we had on the opening stage,” continued Frédéric. “We needed to bounce back, and the guys responded well. They did a really good job.”
“Out there, it’s a real washing machine” – Frédéric Guesdon
Positioned at the front of the peloton as soon as the race entered the final twenty kilometres, Groupama-FDJ United remained among the leading positions right until the closing moments. Every rider played his part before chaos once again took over in the final two kilometres. “From the last kilometre until the hairpin with 500 metres to go, things became very hectic again,” Frédéric said. “Paul got pushed around because everyone wanted to be at the front.” Too far back when the sprint was launched, the young Frenchman never had the opportunity to unleash his effort and eventually crossed the line in 20th place. “It was disappointing because the team had fully committed and we were expecting a much better result,” added Frédéric. Jonathan Milan claimed his second victory in as many days, while Wednesday offered one final opportunity for the sprinters on the way to Zielona Góra. As on the opening stage, Groupama-FDJ United opted to send a rider into the breakaway. “The pace picked up again after the first intermediate sprint, and that’s when Enzo made his move,” explained Frédéric. “Three riders got away at first, then three more bridged across, although Sobrero’s presence disrupted the race a little. It was good to have Enzo up there and he had a really strong day. It’s worth remembering that he hadn’t raced since Liège–Bastogne–Liège. He worked well throughout July, he’s showing great form, and hopefully he’ll carry that into the Vuelta.”
Despite a brave effort from the 24-year-old rider and his companions, the breakaway was eventually caught with four kilometres remaining, setting up a third consecutive bunch sprint. “Just like on the previous days, a lot of riders wanted to be involved,” Frédéric explained. “The sprint’s lead-out wasn’t particularly smooth or fast, so the peloton bunched up and that made positioning really difficult for Paulo.” Caught in the second line of riders, the Groupama-FDJ United sprinter never found the gap he needed to launch his effort properly, eventually finishing a frustrating 13th. “He had three opportunities, and unfortunately he finished outside the top ten every time,” Frédéric concluded. “That’s not where he belongs, so he’s obviously disappointed. Looking back at these first three days, apart from Milan, everything has been very messy. We saw it again today, with many sprinters missing out. There are plenty of big names on paper, but out there, it’s a real washing machine.” The climbing should now bring a little more clarity over the coming days, starting with Thursday’s stage to Karpacz. “We want to race aggressively over the next three days,” concluded Frédéric. “We want to be active in the breakaways while also being up there with the best. For now, Rémi will first try to limit his losses, but his main goal remains Sunday’s individual time trial.”
