Two days after a frustrating outcome at La Roue Tourangelle, Tom Donnenwirth bounced back this Tuesday with a more satisfying result at Paris–Camembert. In a lively final hour of racing, the French puncheur felt the right move with 30 kilometers to go and then held off the peloton alongside five other riders. Although he was unable to contend for victory in the finishing straight, he still secured a solid fourth place.
This Tuesday, the peloton headed to Normandy for the 87th edition of Paris–Camembert. After nearly 200 kilometres of racing, including the final sixty on very hilly terrain, the finish line was located in Livarot-Pays-d’Auge. The race proved relatively calm during the first half, despite a stretched-out peloton due to the wind, chasing five early breakaway riders. “Maximilian [Cushway] went to pull at the front of the peloton after 70 kilometres,” explained Tanguy Turgis. “Coming back from injury, he did a really great job and protected the team very well before we reached the circuit. At kilometre 105, we thought there might be an opportunity to try something given the wind. We made a small effort, which didn’t work out, but it helped us get into the race.” After 130 kilometres, the peloton tackled the first climbs of the day and the pace immediately intensified. “Our goal was to make the race harder as soon as we entered the final circuit, with these short but steep climbs,” said Tom Donnenwirth. “The team put us in a very good position so we could attack in turns, especially with Victor and Ewen.” “Baptiste made a big effort on the côte de la Cavée and the race became very hard,” added Tanguy.
“The podium was really close” – Tom Donnenwirth
With just over fifty kilometres to go, the first moves were launched, which soon spelled the end of the breakaway. Then, on the second ascent of the côte de la Cavée, Ewen Costiou showed himself. “We aimed to do a strong lead-out for Ewen,” said Tanguy. “It didn’t go exactly as planned, but we were there, and Ewen attacked over the top. There were about fifteen riders behind with Tom and Victor, and then things settled down a bit.” “When everyone was on the limit after the team’s big effort, I took advantage of a small lull to go clear with five other riders,” explained Tom. With just over thirty kilometres remaining, the Groupama-FDJ United rider got away, and the peloton quickly found itself more than 45 seconds behind. “The instructions were clear,” he continued. “I wasn’t supposed to work at the front, in order to save as much energy as possible if it came down to a sprint, or to help Ewen if he came back from behind. It was an ideal situation for me and for the team.” “We could have had two riders there if things had played out better, but it was already a good situation,” confirmed Tanguy. “We could use the fact that Tom wasn’t our leader so he could be conservative. On the other hand, we expected Cofidis to sacrifice a rider since they had two up there.”
Although the gap to the peloton came down to around thirty seconds at the final passage over the finish line, the situation hardly changed afterwards. On the last two climbs of the day, the leaders were unable to drop one another and then headed towards Livarot-Pays-d’Auge together. With two kilometres to go, the first attacks came, but it was ultimately Pierre Gautherat who surprised his rivals in the final kilometre to take victory with a small gap. “He went from a long way out and won fair and square,” said Tom. “Behind him, I was very close to take second or third, but I didn’t manage to produce the sprint I wanted. I might still be lacking a bit of strength at the end of races, but the podium was really close. It’s frustrating, because I would have really liked to finish on the podium of such a nice race.” Tom Donnenwirth crossed the line in fourth place this Tuesday, two days after finishing eleventh at La Roue Tourangelle. “He was second by half a wheel,” said Tanguy. “That’s the small regret, because we could have done a bit better, but it’s the second time in three days that he’s been in contention for the win, and that’s still quite new for him. There are still a few details to improve, but he managed things much better than on Sunday.”
“We showed aggressiveness and determination” – Tanguy Turgis
“At least it confirms that I’m in good shape, and that’s the most important thing ahead of the big races coming up,” concluded Tom. “I’m especially happy to have found consistency in my training and in the races I take part in, whether as a domestique in higher-level races or when I have my own chances in smaller events. Step by step, I’m getting closer, and I hope the win will come soon. In any case, the whole team was great, and the staff once again put us in excellent conditions.” “We came close to a top result again—we have to keep pushing—but I’m happy with the day,” added Tanguy. “With this young team, we showed aggressiveness, determination, and a great attitude. We were active in the race and we’re carrying good momentum!”
