Towards Brussels and across three climbs of the “Muur” on Sunday, the Groupama-FDJ cycling team tried to have an impact in various ways. Cyril Barthe first joined the breakaway, which was caught with seventy kilometres to go, then Thibaud Gruel tried to join the moves on the most famous Flemish “berg”. A reduced peloton sprint eventually concluded the Brussels Cycling Classic, and the young French puncher took tenth place.
Usually the scene of a real battle between attackers and sprinters, the Brussels Cycling Classic once again provided an ideal terrain for an open race on Sunday. Perhaps even more this year than usual, since over the 205 kilometres around Brussels, there were three ascents of the iconic “Muur van Geraardsbergen” on the menu, and no longer two, in a sequence that also included the Bosberg and the Congoberg. The last sequence, however, was located fifty kilometres from the finish, which meant the peloton had time to organize itself. However, it wasn’t quite the scenario desired by William Green’s Groupama-FDJ: “There was a heavy startlist of sprinters and we didn’t have a top sprinter on our team but we had many punchers. So, the objective really was to make the race as hard as possible, first by putting Eddy on the break. However, there was a bit of a fight for the break and Cyril found himself in front. The main goal was that we were represented so this was good. Intermarché-Wanty then controlled the day until we approached the Muur for the first time and kept a small gap”. At the front of the race, Cyril Barthe found himself in a breakaway of eight men, whose maximum lead was four minutes.
“We’re especially satisfied with Cyril,” William Green
In the first time up the Muur, more than 110 kilometers from the finish line, the gap was still three minutes, but on the following lap, several attacks in the bunch allowed the shattered pack to get closer. “On the first two laps of the Muur, we wanted to be offensive but at the end we didn’t have the capacity to do this today”, explained William. “After the second lap we found a counterattack of nine riders, and we weren’t represented. Some other teams missed it, and we also committed to the chase because we still had cards to play with Johan and Thibaud”. Cyril Barthe’s breakaway and the counterattack got together with sixty-five kilometers to go, just before the final ascent of the “Muur”, where three men broke away. A few seconds behind, Thibaud Gruel once again followed the best from the peloton, which then split up a bit. The young Frenchman found Cyril Barthe further up the road, and the latter tried to keep the second part of the peloton and the sprinters away. However, it did come back with 50 kilometres to go, and then the bunch began chasing the leading trio.After a distance fight heading towards Brussels, the peloton prevailed. Ten kilometers from the finish line, everything was back in order. “Johan tried to attack, and then it was Eddy who made an instinctive move in the final,” William said. “We’re really pleased for him that he felt this move and gave it a go”. With eight kilometres to go, the young man took a few lengths, but faced with a peloton determined to finish in a sprint, he was unable to carry his attack beyond the last five kilometres. “It was then Cyril’s role to place Thibaud, who found himself in third wheel at 500 meters,” William added. “We knew that positioning was very important because the final can be hectic here in Brussels.” Well positioned in the final straight, Thibaud Gruel, however, saw the comeback of the sprinters and ultimately got tenth place of the day. “We have no regrets,” William concluded. “We are satisfied with the day, and particularly with Cyril. He took the breakaway as we planned.” He had two mechanical problems, but he still managed to come back, then he rode after the last climb up the Mur and did a great job to place Thibaud in the sprint. Overall, there was a real improvement for the team in this race compared to last year.”
