It is rare to see Romain Grégoire miss out twice in a row. Stage 2 of the Tour de Suisse provided further proof of that on Thursday. Around Locarno, the young rider from Besançon bounced back brilliantly after a difficult opening day. Firmly convinced that his chances would come from the breakaway, he first managed to force his way into it alongside Ewen Costiou after a strong effort. Then, after fighting hard on the final two climbs and holding off the charge of Tadej Pogačar, he put the finishing touch on a magnificent performance by outsprinting his remaining rivals at the finish. The reward: his second victory of the season, and Groupama-FDJ United’s second win of the day.
Originally, Wednesday’s opening stage to Sondrio was expected to be the first opportunity for Romain Grégoire to show himself on the Tour de Suisse. However, things unfolded very differently from what anyone had expected, as Tadej Pogačar launched a long-range solo attack on the first climbs, more than 80 kilometres from the finish. “We knew the first climb would be hard, but not that the race would explode like that straight away,” explained Yvon Caër. “We failed to make the front group and simply weren’t at our level. That said, from experience, we know some riders are always better on the second day.” While Lorenzo Germani was the team’s first rider across the line on Stage 1, a strong reaction was expected from Groupama-FDJ United on Thursday’s equally demanding second stage. “The legs just weren’t there yesterday, and we really wanted to make up for it,” said Ewen Costiou. “It was extremely important for us to put things right.” Given the gaps already established in the general classification and Pogačar’s dominance the day before, the answer clearly lay in the breakaway. “We were really determined to get up the road and try to put UAE under pressure,” continued Ewen. “On the first and second climbs, Romain, Rémy and I gave everything, and in the end we managed to get away.”
“Full gas all day” – Ewen Costiou
After an initial attempt had been brought back, the Breton rider finally escaped alongside Romain Grégoire and twelve others after around thirty kilometres. “They had to be in good shape if they managed to get away twice,” said Yvon. “Then they handled the break calmly and smartly. They weren’t overly generous, as they can sometimes be.” “It was full gas all day, and there’s nothing to say about the organisation of the breakaway,” added Ewen. “Everyone did their pulls.” That cooperation proved crucial, as the peloton initially kept the break within two minutes before gradually conceding more ground due to the relentless pace at the front. Entering the final hour of racing, UAE Team Emirates reinforced its chase in an attempt to reel the escapees back in, but the leaders still held nearly a two-minute advantage as they approached the succession of the Fanghi climb (3.5 km at 7%) and Orselina climb (1.4 km at 8.9%), 18 kilometres from the finish. Yet, the pressure in the back intensified dramatically from the first slopes. “We started to get a bit worried because the gap came down very quickly at the foot of the climb, and I suggested Ewen keep the pace high,” said Yvon.
The young Breton immediately sacrificed his own chances for the benefit of his teammate. “We quickly agreed that Romain was our best card,” explained Ewen. “I felt a bit better than yesterday but still wasn’t at 100%. I set a strong tempo at the bottom of the first climb because we knew the gap would come down. I just tried to keep the break alive for as long as possible.” On that climb, Afonso Eulálio launched an attack to which Romain Grégoire responded slightly late. Part of the break regrouped on the descent, but with only around forty seconds of a gap over Pogačar and with the final climb still to come. The leaders tackled it at full speed and only six riders remained at the summit. Among them was Romain Grégoire, who was just two seconds behind his companions after a huge effort. “He knew there was a small descent after the summit, and he rode as if the finish line was right there,” Yvon explained. The Frenchman dug deep, re-joined on the downhill section, while Pogačar and Vacek closed to within roughly twenty seconds. Once the descent ended, six kilometres from the finish, the escapees worked together to keep the world champion at bay. “With only fifteen seconds separating them, nobody wanted to gamble. Everyone contributed, and that may well have saved the breakaway,” analysed Yvon. The tactical games only began approaching the flamme rouge, but a few accelerations enabled the group to maintain a small advantage.
“I managed to bounce back, and I’m really happy” – Romain Grégoire
“In a finale like that, you have to take risks,” said Romain. “I couldn’t afford to follow every move, so I let the others react. I didn’t look behind me once in the final three kilometres. I was completely focused on my sprint.” And above all, on how to approach it. “I knew I wanted to be first through the final corner, with 250 metres to go,” he explained. “That’s what we had planned this morning with the sports directors. I managed to do it, and then it held all the way to the line.” After negotiating the corner perfectly, the rider from Besançon immediately opened up a gap of several bike lengths and was never seen again. A few metres before the finish, he was even able to sit up and celebrate. “I never gave up, and I really had to dig deep for this one,” he said. Despite being, in his own words, “in a terrible state” after the finish – a fact clearly illustrated by his cramping legs – Grégoire wore a broad smile after the podium ceremony. “I often need a little slap in the face to bounce back,” he admitted. “I was really disappointed with my stage yesterday. Today, I managed to bounce back, and I’m very happy. Winning feels so good. When Yvon told me with an hour and a half to go that Thibaud had won in Occitanie, it gave me an extra boost. I wanted to make it an even better day for the team. The start of the season hasn’t lived up to our expectations, but hopefully these two victories are a sign of a great summer ahead.”
“It’s a great day after yesterday’s disappointment, but we know Romain has this ability to bounce back, as he showed earlier this year in Drôme-Ardèche,” added Yvon. “The motivation was certainly there, but so was the physical condition. What we achieved today as a team should inspire us for the races ahead. As for the final, Romain knows exactly what to do when he finds himself in that position. He has a killer instinct that is uniquely his.” “We rode an incredible stage and Romain finished the job, I’m so happy,” celebrated Ewen at the finish. In any case, the team has already achieved one of its main goals on Swiss roads. “The Tour de Suisse is already a success, but we can’t stop here,” concluded Yvon. “Unfortunately, we’re no longer really in contention for the overall classification, but starting tomorrow we’ll approach the race with the same mindset we had today. There are still opportunities ahead. Then we’ll have Rémi for the time trial, the final mountain stage, which we must approach seriously. We’re also here to build form and intensity ahead of the National Championships and the Tour de France.”
