It was all about attacking! On the first mountain stage of the Tour Auvergne–Rhône-Alpes this Friday, the Groupama-FDJ United Cycling Team adopted a very aggressive approach. Following a frantic start, Maxime Decomble, Quentin Pacher, Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet and Clément Braz Afonso all made it into a sixty-rider breakaway. The latter took the opportunity to collect additional points in the mountains classification, further consolidating his jersey, while also securing the team’s best result on the day with ninth place. His leader crossed the line in fifteenth position and, more importantly, climbed to third overall ahead of a tough weekend in the mountains.
As a prelude to what promises to be a particularly demanding weekend at the Tour Auvergne–Rhône-Alpes, Friday’s sixth stage featured 3,000 metres of elevation gain. The first climbs came around the midway point of the race, before riders tackled two more ascents in the final, leading to the finish in Crest-Voland (6 km at 7.5%). For many, it was the last real opportunity for the attackers. As a result, an unusual scenario unfolded in the opening kilometres. “We had decided to race aggressively and try to get into the breakaway because it looked like it could go all the way,” explained Thierry Bricaud. “Almost everyone was free to go up the road today, except Clément Berthet, who needed to stay with the favourites. We had to be opportunistic and wanted several riders in the move because we knew it could be a large group.” The gap between theory and reality proved minimal. After less than ten kilometres, a group of sixty riders did “break away” from the peloton. “It doesn’t happen often, but it can,” smiled Thierry. “We were very well represented with four riders, and then we had a rather crazy stage because of the different interests at play.”
“A great day for us” – Clément Braz Afonso
At the front of the race, Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet, polka-dot jersey holder Clément Braz Afonso, Maxime Decomble and Quentin Pacher were all part of the move, whose advantage quickly grew to two minutes. “Initially, Maxime did a lot of work in the breakaway,” Thierry continued. “He was dropped on the Col du Granier midway through the stage, and then we mostly stayed in the wheels until the foot of the final climbs. It was full gas all day long, and on top of that we had a favorable wind.” More importantly, during the final hour of racing, the breakaway managed to gain a decisive advantage over the peloton, gradually extending its lead beyond four minutes. “Some teams rode very hard in the valleys,” said Clément. “They kept the pace extremely high, which allowed us to stay away until the finish. Personally, I’m quite happy with how the day unfolded. We didn’t have to spend too much energy before the final, and I was able to take mountain points without anyone contesting them.” After getting at the top of the first two classified climbs in first place, Clément Braz Afonso also claimed the points atop the Côte d’Héry-sur-Ugine (11.5 km at 5%), the first climb of the final sequence. By the summit, only around twenty riders remained at the head of the race, including him and Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet.
Following a short descent, the riders tackled the last climb, where the decisive move came almost immediately. “We knew the stage win would come from the breakaway, but we also knew there were some very strong riders there, such as Van Gils and Johannessen,” Thierry explained. Four men broke clear, and the two Groupama-FDJ United riders were unable to follow. “We were hoping Guillaume could fight for the stage win, but unfortunately he wasn’t feeling quite as good in the final, so I played my own card,” said Clément, who finished ninth on the day, thirty-three seconds behind stage winner Maxim Van Gils. His teammate from Normandy crossed the line in fifteenth place around thirty seconds later. “We were just missing a little something, but the riders were in the mix, and that’s what matters most,” added Thierry. “It also allows Guillaume to move up to third overall. We’re continuing our positive momentum.” “It’s been a great day for us overall,” confirmed Clément, who obviously strengthened his lead in the mountains classification. The team also retained its lead in the team standings despite the withdrawal of Kevin Geniets, who fell ill Thursday evening. Attention now turns to the two toughest stages of the race, beginning on Saturday with the summit finish atop Grand Colombier.
