The time trial delivered its verdict on stage 3 of the Tour Poitou-Charentes en Nouvelle Aquitaine. In the 27 kilometres against the clock, decisive for the overall standings, Eliott Boulet and Enzo Paleni achieved the best times for Groupama-FDJ. The two young French riders entered the top 10, finishing 9th and 10th respectively, which are also their overall positions on Thursday evening.
The Tour Poitou-Charentes en Nouvelle Aquitaine was expected to deliver a completely new general classification on Thursday, with a time trial on the agenda for stage 3. Two 700-metre climbs featured on the course, which really suited the specialists, nonetheless. “There mostly were nice, fast sections where you needed to stay in position and put in the power,” said Anthony Bouillod, coach of Groupama-FDJ. “For the first 6.5 kilometres, there was a 3/4 tailwind, then there was a long section with a headwind before a final part, about 6.5 kilometres long, with a side wind. We had to deal with this, knowing that gusts of 40 km/h were forecast. We felt them throughout the day, and they might have had a small impact on the results.” Starting among the first riders, around 2 p.m., Clément Davy and Eddy Le Huitouze first set solid times, in 34’14 and 34’21, which allowed them to be in the provisional top positions for a while.
“We should highlight Eliott’s very good performance,” Anthony Bouillod
However, from 3 p.m., the rankings changed significantly, and Samuel Leroux set the fastest time at the finish, in 33’03. For Groupama-FDJ, Eliott Boulet and Enzo Paleni entered the top 10 at the first intermediate check point, being twenty seconds behind the leader. At the finish, the gap extended to 45 and 51 seconds over Leroux, but they were still able to secure ninth and tenth places in the time trial. “The ambition was to have one or more riders in the top 10, and if possible, one in the top 5,” Anthony summarized. “We were thinking especially of Enzo, who probably had the capacity to be a little higher in the rankings. Enzo in the top 5 and Eliott in the top 10 would have been very satisfying. In the end, we have two men in the top 10, which is still good. We should highlight the very good performance of Eliott, who has made it into the top 10 even though he was still a Junior last year.” The 18-year-old, a stage winner in the Tour de Bretagne this year, sits in ninth place overall tonight, just ahead of Enzo Paleni. The race will conclude on Friday in Poitiers. “The number 1 goal will be to aim for the stage, and the secondary objective will be to secure our positions in the general classification,” concluded Anthony. The finish line will be located after 800 metres at 5% of average slope.
