The successful Swiss week continues for the Groupama-FDJ cycling team. On Monday, while Romain Grégoire showed and secured the yellow jersey he conquered the day before, the final in Schwarzsee also allowed Lewis Askey to shine. In a disorganized sprint, the Englishman managed to take an excellent third place at the finish line. Well supported by his teammates all day, Romain Grégoire will face another test in the very hilly final to Heiden tomorrow.
Although it was an unusual stage that allowed him to pull off a brilliant ride on Sunday, Romain Grégoire was hoping for a more traditional scenario at the start of the Tour de Suisse’s second stage. From this perspective, the yellow jersey certainly got what he wanted. “The primary objective was to defend Romain’s jersey. We were more than prepared to control the day, but from the start, a small breakaway of three riders went clear, and the highest GC rider was at six minutes,” explained William Green. “As a result, the sprinters’ teams immediately took control, and we could enjoy the day without spending too much energy. We still remained on the front, protected by Eddy and Olivier, and it was nice to be in this position because the course was also quite technical at times.” A breakaway trio therefore led the way throughout the day but proved unable to get a bigger gap than two and a half minutes. On the first classified climb, fifty kilometres from the finish, the peloton came back at one minute, then thinned out on the next, shorter but steeper climb.
“I don’t think I can have too many regrets,” Lewis Askey
A bunch of just a hundred riders kept on going, and Romain Grégoire could still rely on Lewis Askey, Stefan Küng, and Valentin Madouas. “The team rode very well all day, we were always up there, and we were never in trouble,” said the British rider. Moreover, with the help of his Swiss teammate, Lewis Askey launched Romain Grégoire for the bonus sprint, located thirty-three kilometres from the finish line. “It wasn’t initially planned, but a rider in the breakaway was dropped, and some wanted to fight for it in the peloton,” explained William. “In the end, we were up there, and at the last moment, we took advantage and went for it.” Without spending too much energy, the yellow jersey took a second and increased his lead to twenty-five seconds in the overall. Following the last classified climb, fifteen kilometres from the finish, the last man from the break was caught, then a few unsuccessful counterattacks came from the peloton before the final, slightly uphill seven kilometres. “We expected a sprint, but the question was whether the sprinters would still be able to sprint,” said William. “Some teams tried to set a fast pace on the climbs to put a bit of pain in some of the sprinters’ legs, but I personally felt really good today,” added Lewis Askey.
Jan Christen anticipated the sprint with an attack with two kilometres to go, he entered the final kilometres with a few seconds’ lead, but the last ramps saw a few riders break away, including the British rider from Groupama-FDJ. “The plan was for me to wait until the sprint, but Quinn Simmons attacked, and I followed,” he said. “Alaphilippe dropped the wheel, I closed this gap, and I maybe made a slight mistake at that point. I kind of waited on the wheel to start the sprint, and perhaps I should have gone full at this moment. That’s the little regret I have.” Chased down by Vincenzo Albanese and Fabio Christen in the last 600 metres, Lewis Askey couldn’t hold off the two men in the final metres, having to settle for third place. “I’m happy,” he still said. “For sure if you’re on the podium, it means you also could have been there for the win, but I don’t think I can have too many regrets.” “Over the last two days, we’ve been fortunate to get it quite right,” William said. “It wasn’t quite enough for the win today, but we’re in the mix. Third on a stage of the Tour de Suisse is an achievement for sure. We always want to win, and we have the capability to do so, but you can’t get ahead of yourself. The team rode super strong today, and we need to be satisfied.”
“Tomorrow is a very good stage for Romain,” William Green
As for the yellow jersey, Romain Grégoire finished inside the peloton (21st) and safely held onto the lead in the general classification. “It went well, even though it must have looked easier on TV than what it was on the bike,” said the young man. “It wasn’t an easy day, as there was a bit of tension, and the legs suffered a bit on the climbs. I would have liked to fight a little more at the front, but I wasn’t able to find my way as I wanted in the last two kilometres. Fortunately, Lewis was there, and he delivered. We achieved both of today’s goals by fighting for the stage with a strong podium finish for Lewis and keeping the jersey.” On Tuesday, the Frenchman will need to defend it through the three climbs featuring in the final twenty-five kilometres. “It’s going to be another hard finish,” William described. “I think some GC contenders will be active tomorrow, and it will also be a mix with some punchers. We are confident. It’s a very good stage for Romain and we have a team that’s really behind him”.
