After two successful opening stages, Groupama-FDJ United Cycling Team has been more discreet over the past three days at the Tour Auvergne–Rhône-Alpes. While the team first managed to limit the losses in Tuesday’s team time trial (11th place), it was more in the background during the following two stages, which were contested between breakaway riders and sprinters. Attention now turns to a mountainous weekend, featuring three summit finishes in as many days.
Following a hilly start to the race, where Groupama-FDJ United’s aggressive racing was rewarded with two top-five finishes, the Tour Auvergne–Rhône-Alpes reached its first key moment on Tuesday with the team time trial. On a demanding course featuring two uphill sections before a final climb (800 metres at 6.3%), the clock was stopped on the first rider across the line, while each team member was credited with their individual finishing time. Thierry Bricaud and Stéphane Goubert’s men were the penultimate competitors to tackle the course, and despite the difficulties, five of them were still together at the bottom of the final climb. “We wanted to stay quite united because the last section leading to the finish was very fast,” explained Thierry. “We managed it quite well, and the riders made very few mistakes. We were missing one or two big time trial specialists to do better, but we maximized our strengths as much as possible. Apart from Maxime, we didn’t really have a specialist in this discipline, so it was a decent time trial.” At the end of the day, Groupama-FDJ United finished in eleventh place, 1 minute and 36 seconds behind the winning team, but less than a minute away from the top five. “In terms of time loss, it was a little more than we had hoped for, but regarding the position, we knew we would be competing around that level,” added Thierry.
“To maintain the momentum we’ve built” – Thierry Bricaud
On Wednesday, the peloton returned to Le Puy-en-Velay, where Clément Braz Afonso had secured his top-five finish, for the start of Stage 4. The opening phase proved extremely intense, as it took 75 kilometres before a breakaway was finally able to form. “We thought there was a chance the break could make it all the way,” Thierry continued. “We tried several times, particularly with Rudy and Quentin, but the break was formed by small waves of three or four riders, and we ultimately missed out. It was a bit tactical. Quentin came very close to making it, but it was the counterattack following his move that got away. It was slightly frustrating because it came down to very little and the breakaway made it, but we had nothing to reproach the riders for. They tried, just as they have since the start of the race. The attitude was there, but you also need a bit of luck, and we lacked that this time.” In a thrilling head-to-head battle against the peloton, ten riders managed to hold on by just four seconds, with Quinn Simmons taking the victory. As a result, the sprinters’ teams were unwilling to take any risks on Thursday. “We expected a similar stage to the previous day because the start was demanding,” said Thierry. “Maxime almost made it into the breakaway, but with a slight delay. He came very close to getting back across, but it didn’t happen. In the end, though, we have no regrets because the attackers were never given much freedom.”
The day ultimately ended in a bunch sprint at the Parc des Oiseaux in Villars-les-Dombes, where Wout van Aert claimed the win. At the conclusion of the stage, Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet (19th) and Clément Berthet (21st) maintained their positions in the general classification, while Groupama-FDJ United remained at the top of the team classification and Clément Braz Afonso retained the lead in the mountains classification. However, the major climbs are just about to begin. “A tough weekend awaits the peloton,” predicted Thierry. “Starting on Friday, there is a first summit finish that could already shake up the general classification. Clément [Berthet] and Guillaume will find a final that suits them well. As for the final two stages, it will be proper high mountains. Race situations may give us opportunities to go for a stage win, and it will be up to us to anticipate. Clément’s King of the Mountains jersey is not really an objective, but if he has a strong ride on Saturday or Sunday, we’ll see where it takes us. The idea is to maintain the momentum we’ve built since the start and to target a stage victory over these final three days.”
