Four years after a memorable double, “La Conti” once again claimed victory at the Youngster Coast Challenge. This Friday, after a long breakaway of nearly 140 kilometres featuring ten riders, including his teammate Victor Loulergue, Eliott Boulet came out on top in this major U23 event. It marks the second win of the season outside the amateur calendar for the Groupama-FDJ United development team.
A few hours before the “big boys”, the riders of “La Conti” also set off on the Bredene–Koksijde route on Friday for the Youngster Coast Challenge. Their course, however, was limited to 175 kilometres and included only three climbs, among them the Kemmelberg, located around 100 kilometres from the finish. “It was mostly a tail-crosswind heading towards the Kemmel, with a few crosswind sections,” explained Jérôme Gannat. “It wasn’t very strong, but on exposed terrain you had to stay alert, and the whole team was well positioned from the very first kilometres. We had identified an area around km 30 where echelons could form. Again, the wind wasn’t very strong, but the roads were narrow. Eleven riders went clear after a series of attacks, and we were ready.” As a result, “La Conti” managed to put two riders in the breakaway: Eliott Boulet and Victor Loulergue. “There were quite a few teams represented, but they never gained more than fifty seconds,” Jérôme continued. “Victor set a strong pace on the Kemmelberg, three riders were dropped from the break, but the peloton came back to within ten seconds. We thought it was over, but three riders bridged across and their team then stopped chasing behind. The break extended its lead again, although the gap kept fluctuating between twenty and fifty seconds.”
“It was all or nothing” — Jérôme Gannat
While the peloton never gave up the chase, the breakaway also never hesitated. “They worked well together to go as far as possible without really looking at each other,” Jérôme said. “Victor was a bit the organizer of the break. If they had started hesitating, it would have been over. It was uncertain all day long, and for us it was pretty much all or nothing. With our two fast riders up front, it could have been difficult in a sprint if the break had been caught.” Entering the finishing circuit, just over 20 kilometres from the finish, the gap stood at thirty seconds. It briefly dropped to just ten seconds, but the leading group managed to open a new gap before the final ten kilometres. “The gap went back up to twenty-five seconds at the last passage on the finish line, and we felt it could be enough,” Jérôme added. The cooperation among the breakaway riders lasted until three kilometers from the finish, when the first attacks began. “One rider attacked in the final kilometre and Victor made an effort to close the gap,” Jérôme explained. “In the finishing straight, Eliott accelerated strongly at 350 metres, created a small gap, and then really launched his sprint at 250 metres with a tailwind.”
The 19-year-old Breton then comfortably beat his rivals to take victory in Koksijde. “It really wasn’t the expected scenario, but it’s a very nice win,” Jérôme commented. “It was also the first U23 class 2 race of the season, and it was an important one with many development teams at the start. We saw strong teamwork throughout the day, from the start, with the two riders up front, but also with the others who stayed near the front of the peloton to disrupt the chase. The only downside today was Johan Blanc’s crash; he’s a bit banged up and will undergo a check-up.”
