As it does every year, the climb to San Luca delivered its verdict at the Tour of Emilia. For Clément Berthet, the outcome could have been even more favourable. Dropped with two laps to go after being caught in a split, the French climber still finished strongly in Bologna to secure a solid 13th place. There was therefore some frustration over the day’s outcome, but also plenty of encouragement ahead of the upcoming races.
Just one week before Il Lombardia, some of the biggest names in world cycling were already gathering in Italy on Saturday for the Giro dell’Emilia — not a proper rehearsal for the final Monument of the season, but certainly an important test. It is also a race that leaves little room for surprises, with five ascents to the Madonna di San Luca sanctuary (2km at 9.5%) packed into the final 40 kilometres. “We know that the race is quite straightforward once we reach Bologna,” Benoît Vaugrenard pointed out. “The goal was to be in the mix from the first lap, because we know things then go very fast on this nine-kilometre circuit.” The early breakaway was caught on the first slopes, before Quentin Pacher made his way to the front alongside five other riders approaching the summit. “He tried to anticipate, but Visma was missing from the move and the peloton gave them not much room,” Benoît added. The French puncheur nevertheless managed to tackle the second ascent of San Luca with a small advantage, then went clear with two other riders and completed the climb five seconds ahead of a considerably reduced peloton, which still included Rudy Molard and Clément Berthet.
“Still very encouraging” – Benoît Vaugrenard
Quentin Pacher and the other attackers were caught shortly afterwards, while the descent froze the positions ahead of the third and penultimate ascent of San Luca. It was at this point, with around 20 kilometres to go, that the major battle began among the favourites. Unfortunately, Clément Berthet was unable to join in. “Visma-Lease a Bike rode hard from the bottom, the pace really picked up, and Clément himself admitted that he had been caught a little off guard,” Benoît explained. “He was poorly positioned at the foot, got caught in a split and the best riders went clear ahead. We hoped it would come back, but the race never settled down again. That’s where Clément missed the move. He was a little too passive towards the back and the race went away without him.” Around 20 seconds behind the group of favourites, Clément Berthet nevertheless kept fighting over the final two laps to finish on a positive note. At the finish, he even managed to close in on the top 10, taking 13th place, 1:34 behind winner Davide Piganzoli. “He had a strong finish, catching the riders who were being dropped ahead of him,” Benoît continued. “It shows that he was going well, but it was too late. It’s a shame because he could have done a little better. I think he clearly had his place in the group of ten that bridged across to the favourites, in which case the top 10 would have been within reach.”
While the result could have been even more rewarding, the French climber nevertheless provided plenty of reassurance regarding his condition. “He said he didn’t have exceptional legs today, apart from the final lap, when he felt really good,” Benoît concluded. “For a return to racing after the Vuelta, on such an explosive course, that’s still very encouraging for what’s to come, and especially for his goal at Il Lombardia in a week’s time.”
