For his final race of the season, Clément Braz Afonso once again delivered on Sunday in the sixth and last stage of the Tour of Guangxi. At the top of the NongLa climb, the 26-year-old secured eighth place, which also earned him a top-10 finish in the general classification (9th). A positive end to a promising week in China.
After the first three stages had been dominated by the sprinters, the fourth stage of the Tour of Guangxi, featuring 2,800 metres of elevation gain, looked much more unpredictable. Although the final climb came 25 kilometres from the finish, the mostly downhill and fast run-in to Tian’e did not seem to favour a regrouping. “We had given Enzo the green light to get into the breakaway because, if there was one day that offered an opportunity, it was probably this one,” explained Yvon Caër. “He fought hard alongside his three breakaway companions, but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough, as the sprinters’ teams managed to keep the race firmly under control.” After the final climb, the breakaway riders were nevertheless joined by Kevin Vauquelin and Louis Barré, who had attacked from behind, but their advantage remained small over a peloton that had been reduced to almost half its original size. “We had two options,” Yvon explained. “Matteo’s option if he was still there, and Cyril’s if Matteo had been dropped. As it turned out, Matteo handled the various climbs well and stayed with the peloton, which really impressed us. Unfortunately, he came over the final climb towards the back of the group and was caught out by a split involving around ten riders on the fast, twisting descent that followed. He lost ten metres, then thirty, and with the final already underway, he was never able to make it back. It’s a little frustrating, but we’ve seen some significant progress on more demanding terrain.”
“Matteo is still learning” – Yvon Caër
A reduced bunch sprint ultimately decided the stage after 167 kilometres, giving Cyril Barthe the opportunity to go for a result. “Tom positioned him well, but Cyril suffered a dropped chain in the final straight, which clearly ruined his sprint,” Yvon recounted. “It’s a shame because I think a top-10 finish was within reach.” Instead, the Frenchman had to settle for 18th place, while the final opportunity for the sprinters was looming on Saturday towards Yizhou, with a more straightforward course on paper. “We had a strategy to put Matteo in the best possible conditions,” Yvon explained. “We were ambitious, but on these very wide roads, against proper sprint teams, we saw the limits imposed by our riders’ profiles. There was plenty of motivation, but we were quickly pushed around. Cyril still did a good job of getting Matteo into a decent position with 800 metres to go, but Matteo couldn’t produce his best effort. He was also boxed in a little in the bunch and had to brake with 300 metres to go. Yet, I also think he is still learning. After four or five days of racing and the fatigue that comes with it, he struggles to produce his maximum power.” In those circumstances, the Italian narrowly missed out on a top-10 finish, taking 12th place but still securing his fourth top-15 result of the week.
After five stages on Chinese roads that had favoured the sprinters, Sunday finally offered the puncheurs and climbers a course suited to their strengths, with the well-known ascent of NongLa. With no major difficulties beforehand, the final five kilometres were expected to be decisive for the general classification. “It was a fairly straightforward day, and the team did a good job of positioning Clément at the foot of the climb, particularly Titouan, Matteo and Cyril,” Yvon reported. “We had also given Rémy a free hand. He knows the climb well and was racing with us for the last time. He wanted to have a go and followed the attacks on the first climb, but he may have been a little too aggressive when he counter-attacked Vauquelin. He found himself alone on the flatter section, and when the group of favourites caught him on the final ramp, he naturally began to struggle.” Clément Braz Afonso, however, was very much in contention, alongside around twenty other riders, as they entered the final kilometre. “Clément was our main card, and Tom was still with him on the flatter section to keep things under control and move him back into position if necessary,” Yvon added. Still on the wheels of the favourites with 500 metres to go, the young Frenchman lost contact 200 metres further up, when Tom Pidcock launched his attack.
“An exemplary season from Clément” – Yvon Caër
At the summit, he nevertheless secured an excellent eighth place. “He gave it everything, and that’s where he belongs,” Yvon said. “The level was higher than in previous years here, so finishing eighth on this stage is honestly a very strong performance when you look at the names behind him.” The result also enabled Clément Braz Afonso to secure his first top-10 finish in the general classification of a WorldTour stage race, taking ninth place overall. “This puts the finishing touch on an exemplary season from him,” Yvon praised. “He has been consistently reliable for almost the entire year, and he’s still going strong on 18 October. He has taken a real step forward, and if he can make one more small improvement, we can even hope to see him competing further up in WorldTour races. Having a rider who is that reliable is extremely valuable, and it means everyone is fully committed to working for him. We came here aiming for a top-10 finish in the general classification, so we’re very happy to take it. There have also been signs of progress from Matteo. We invested a lot in supporting him, and he was very grateful for that. Now he needs to have a good winter. If he can take another small step forward, there is every reason to believe we can achieve some excellent results with him next year.”
