On the heights of Bologna, and at the foot of the Basilica of San Luca, Rudy Molard delivered a top-level performance on Saturday in the Giro dell’Emilia. Thanks to the day’s good shape, the French rider was even able to tackle the last of the five climbs of San Luca in the lead. Although the favorites caught him on the steepest slopes, the Groupama-FDJ rider still secured a very solid twelfth place against a WorldTour-type of field.
Across the 200 kilometres planned on the Giro dell’Emilia, no less than 3,000 meters of elevation gain were to be climbed this Saturday towards Bologna, where five ascents of the famous San Luca hill (2.1 km at 9.4%) were on the menu. From the halfway point, the peloton got over the first climbs of the day, a handful of minutes behind a five-rider breakaway perfectly controlled by the leaders’ teams. As for the Groupama-FDJ cycling team, it was all around Rudy Molard. “We trusted him because he knows these races well and he came out of the Vuelta in good shape,” explained Yvon Caër. “We know that these courses suit him perfectly when he’s in condition. It was also a discovery for Clément and Brieuc, also returning to competition after their first Grand Tour.” Before getting to the finishing circuit, the breakaway was able to cross Monte Calvo in the lead but was caught a few minutes later. “There were a few climbs before reaching San Luca, but nothing major,” Yvon explained. “The goal was to come fresh for the final, and we knew it would come down to the legs. It went very fast from the first ascent, and after the second, there were only about thirty riders left. The selection happened quickly due to the fast pace of UAE Team Emirates.”
“I’m happy with my performance,” Rudy Molard
After two of the five climbs, Clément Braz Afonso and Rudy Molard were still in the leading peloton. On the third time up San Luca, the bunch continued to break up, but Rudy Molard managed to hold on in a group of barely thirteen riders! Then, a few minutes later, on the penultimate climb, the favorites began to attack each other. “It was a constant fight, it never really eased down,” Yvon added. “The five climbs were done at a very sustained pace.” After he was distanced at one point following the accelerations of Pidcock, Del Toro & co., Rudy Molard was able to make the junction on the final descent of the day. In this transition section, he twice tried to anticipate his rivals, but it was finally a few hundred metres before the final ascent of San Luca that he was able to slightly break away. “He rode smart all day to keep up with the best, and in the end, he had absolutely nothing to lose, so he tried to surprise the group of favorites to tackle the final climb with a small gap,” Yvon explained. “It didn’t work, but there are no regrets.” The French rider did get the opportunity to lead the way on this final climb, but Tom Pidcock and the top guns were quick to catch up.
From then on, the experienced puncher fought hard all the way to the summit, where he crossed the line in twelfth place, twenty-four seconds behind the winner Del Toro. “I’m happy with my performance,” he assured. “I was still with the best until the end. I’m glad I was able to keep up with them given the pace on the climb on each lap. I think I left a little too much energy in my attempt at the bottom of the final climb, but I had nothing to lose. Without that, the top 10 was possible, but I preferred to try rather than stay in the wheels. There are no regrets; it’s a good start to our Italian week.” “Rudy lived up to our expectations and rode a very good race,” Yvon emphasized. “It’s a good result, in a ProSeries race, but with a WorldTour level. Generally, when he performs well in the Giro dell’Emilia, he also performs well in Il Lombardia. That’s a good sign moving forward! Tomorrow, fresh riders will join us for the Coppa Agostoni and we’ll be able to adopt a different racing dynamic.”
