The 2025 Belgian cycling calendar closed on Tuesday with Binche-Chimay-Binche. In a rather eventful edition, the Groupama-FDJ cycling team proved strong and even managed to bring its sprinter Paul Penhoët in the lead in the final kilometre. However, the Frenchman’s rivals came back with speed from behind, and the young man had to settle for sixth place at the finish line.
A few months after the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Binche-Chimay-Binche marked the end of the cycling season in Belgium this Tuesday, across 203 kilometres made challenging by a few slight uphill roads and cobbled sections. The finish line was located after a combination of these two difficulties, on a sixteen-kilometre circuit to be covered five times in the second half of the race. The first half of the course, however, proved also very important on Tuesday. “It was a very long battle, until a climb we call ‘Little Poggio’, at kilometre 75,” explained Frédéric Guesdon. “At the bottom, nine guys went away, including Campenaerts, Vermeersch, and Abrahamsen—a strong group. The teams that weren’t represented were forced to pull, then we reached a small hill in a village, and the peloton split in two. We then got back on some small roads, the pace was high, and some realized that Jasper Philipsen was caught behind, so it never really eased off. We were well positioned, and only Johan ended up in the second pack.”
“We don’t have any regrets,” Frédéric Guesdon
With 80 kilometres to go, the first bunch reached the Binche circuit, the early breakaway was caught, but the pace didn’t slow down. “The situation was perfect for us, but we were worried it would be too aggressive and that there wouldn’t be enough teams to control,” Frédéric added. “At first, the main goal was to follow the moves to avoid getting trapped, and to be vigilant. I hoped the guys would be there for it. Olivier and Thibaud were attentive with three laps to go, but in the end, there wasn’t that much attacking. So we headed towards a sprint, which wasn’t a bad option for us either”. A duo of breakaway riders who broke away with 60 kilometres to go entered the final lap with a 12-second lead but were caught ten kilometers from the finish. Paul Penhoët still had five teammates alongside him in a reduced peloton. “In the final, it was all for Paul,” Frédéric said. “We studied the course carefully; there were also four laps before, so we knew we really needed to be positioned five kilometers from the finish to tackle the small road. Olivier and Eddy were supposed to launch the train, then Cyril from two kilometres to the flamme rouge, then Thibaud and Clément to lead Paul in the final kilometre and over the cobbled climb.”On the road, the plan played out perfectly, as the Groupama-FDJ team, after taking commands of the peloton 3.5 kilometers from the finish line, held on until the end of the cobbled climb, with about 400 metres to go. Clément Russo and Paul Penhoët thus emerged in the lead. “In these causes, it can go either way,” confided Frédéric. “Generally in Binche, the climb is hard and then it doesn’t really ease off. Unfortunately, today, we were in the lead, but the speed didn’t pick up really, and it was those who came from behind who had the advantage.” Overtaken by a handful of competitors just before the last cobbled section leading to the finish line, Paul Penhoët was able to get back in the wheels but couldn’t grab the day’s top 5. “Sixth is good, even if I know Paul isn’t satisfied with that,” concluded Frédéric. “In any case, we can highlight the team effort. The goal was to do everything we could to fight for the win, and that’s what we did. Of course, we were hoping for better than sixth place, but we don’t have any regrets”.
