He’d been knocking at the door for over three years, and finally, Lewis Askey conquered his long-awaited triumph. After many podiums and top-10s, the 24-year-old Briton claimed his maiden pro victory on the Boucles de l’Aulne this Thursday, after a race where his teammates really made an impact, particularly Valentin Madouas who was leading solo until the last six kilometres. Thanks to a powerful attack 500 meters from the finish line, on the slightly uphill finish in Châteaulin, the former rider from “La Conti” left everyone behind and could celebrate his victory a few metres ahead of the rest of the peloton. The long weekend in Brittany is off to a superb start.
The peloton therefore met in Châteaulin on Thursday to kick off a full weekend in Brittany. Before the Tour du Finistère, the Grand Prix du Morbihan, and the Tro Bro Léon, the Boucles de l’Aulne loomed ahead of the riders, on a slightly hilly course divided into two main circuits: a “long” one (20 km) including the climb of the Ménez Quelc’h (2 km at 7%), and a shorter one of nine kilometres to be covered seven times. The uphill drag to the finish line, to be crossed a dozen of times, was also supposed to spice up the day’s event. The start, however, turned out to be quite calm behind a five-man breakaway well controlled by Eddy Le Huitouze. “We had two options this morning,” explained Frédéric Guesdon. “Valentin was very motivated. He was a bit vengeful after the Ardennes Classics, so the first option was to make the race hard so that he could have the opportunity to do something. So that’s what we did, even though we kept the sprint option open with Lewis and Tom”. “I really took a break after the Classics; it was my return to racing, and the briefing was more focused on Valentin, with the goal of making it hard, which wasn’t necessarily ideal for me,” confirmed Lewis Askey.
“I hate having regrets”, Lewis Askey
The moves thus began on the fourth and final climb of the Ménez Quelc’h, nearly seventy kilometers from the finish line, where Valentin Madouas launched an attack, taking six men with him, before being joined by Tom Donnenwirth and a few other riders further on. “They didn’t want to give their all at the front because we were still far from the finish and there were still a lot of teammates to pull in the bunch,” Frédéric said. “So it got back together, but it still wore down the legs and the race was far from over. Even though the climbs were less difficult on the finishing circuit, it was possible to try again, and that’s what happened. Brieuc went up the front, Clément too, and there were a lot of moves until the finish.” Clément Braz Afonso was even able to lead the race with four riders for around twenty kilometres, until the final two laps of the circuit approached. Olivier Le Gac and Brieuc Rolland then came into action again, but at the start of the final loop around Châteaulin, it was the former French champion who went all in. “For Valentin, it was the last chance to break away,” Frédéric added. “He tried, he was strong, and anyone could see that because he went out on his own. He was caught but I think he made the others suffer behind.”
The French puncher was caught with six kilometres to go and quite a big peloton headed towards the finish line, located after an uphill kilometre. “After I made it through the hardest part, I said on the radio that I felt very good, I asked if I could go for the sprint, and they told me yes,” Lewis said. “The guys did a really good job to get me in a good position in the last corner.” After being brought back up by Clément Braz Afonso and Olivier Le Gac, the Briton was able to tackle the uphill section in the top three positions. “I saw that there was already a small gap after the corner, I felt good and I thought: it’s now or never,” Lewis added. “I knew I could hold on, so I went for it full gas, and I saw that I opened up a gap straight away. I hadn’t planned on doing this at all, but I managed to read the race. I hate having regrets, waiting, and then thinking I should have done this or that.” Thanks to a sharp attack nearly 500 metres from the finish line, the Groupama-FDJ rider immediately took a great option. “In a tough sprint like today, it’s not just about attacking, you also have to hold on, and that’s what he managed to do,” added Frédéric. “As soon as you see the 300-meter, 200-meter signs, it’s easier to bear the pain,” said Lewis.
“I was afraid it would never come”, Lewis Askey
Thus, after a memorable final kilometre, the 24-year-old Englishman could put his hands in the air and enjoy, right ahead of the peloton, his first-ever professional victory. “I came close to victory several times, and I was afraid it would never come,” he confessed. “I’m extremely happy to finally get it today. It’s great and it takes off some pressure. Everyone told me that the first victory could make things click. I’m waiting to see that, but I hope (smiles).” “Lewis had a very good start to the season, was up there a few times, but he fell ill in the Tour of Flanders and Paris Roubaix,” added Frédéric. “He wasn’t able to perform as he wanted in races he loves. He’s starting a second cycle after his break, and he’s doing it in the best possible way. He has been close to the win since his first professional year, so it’s fully deserved.” Groupama-FDJ also grabbed their fifth victory of the season, at the end of a very successful team race. “Everyone did a great job, starting with Eddy, who worked in the first part of the race,” Frédéric assured. “All seven riders really played their part. We never missed a move, we were key players from start to finish, and it’s perfect when it ends like this. The weekend is off to a great start.”
