The last three days of the Tour de France have offered very little room for the attackers. While Thursday’s major Pyrenean stage confirmed Tadej Pogačar’s domination, the sprinters had their chance to shine on Wednesday and Friday. Clément Russo tried to make his mark in both bunch finishes, placing just outside the top ten on each occasion (13th and 16th). Another sprint is expected in Bergerac on Saturday before a suited day for the break on Sunday.
After four days of waiting patiently, the sprint specialists finally got their first real opportunity on Wednesday. Heading towards Pau, a few short, punchy climbs featured in the final hour of racing, but the anticipated bunch sprint did indeed happen after 160 kilometres. Although Groupama-FDJ United did not have a proper sprinter, the team rallied around Clément Russo for the occasion. “Everyone is eager and happy to work for Clément, who is usually the one helping others,” explained Yvon Caër. “It also gives the team an objective for the day.” Romain Grégoire, Lorenzo Germani and Clément Braz Afonso all played their part in positioning Clément Russo before the latter handled the final three kilometres by himself. The outcome was a respectable 13th place in a sprint made chaotic by several crashes. The contrast could hardly have been greater on Thursday, with the Tour’s big Pyrenean stage taking in both the Col d’Aspin and the Col du Tourmalet. “There was only one way for us to achieve a result, and that was through the breakaway,” Yvon continued. “We tried to make that happen before Aspin. Unfortunately, UAE decided not to give the break any room at all. Once the pace increased, we reached our limits, but it was extremely difficult to compete with the very best in those circumstances. Our only disappointment was Clément Braz Afonso’s crash at the foot of the Aspin, because we would have liked to see what he was capable of.”
“Romain never gave up” – Yvon Caër
At the finish, Tadej Pogačar claimed a solo victory, while Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet crossed the line in 34th place. Most of the team finished in the main gruppetto, where Romain Grégoire was visibly feeling the effects of the effort. “It was a very difficult day for him,” confirmed Caër. “If we go back a little, the French National Championships had been one of his main goals for a long time. He invested a huge amount of energy to be at his very best there, and he succeeded. He was so happy, both for himself and for the team, that he also enjoyed it afterwards. Naturally, you sleep a little less and recover a little less. He probably arrived at the Tour without being fully recovered, and we then opened the race with a maximal effort in the team time trial. We know the numbers he produced on the final climb: he put in an incredible effort. The following day, he delivered another outstanding performance under the circumstances we all know, finishing seventh against the best riders in the world. Then the extreme heat added to his accumulated fatigue, and Thursday’s bad day was simply the result of all that physical and mental expenditure. He had a really rough day, he was completely empty, but he was impressive. He never gave up, convinced that things would improve. And on Friday, they already had. We’ll definitely see him again in this Tour, but it’s up to us to manage him carefully and make sure he gets some genuine recovery days.”
“We’ll commit 100%” – Yvon Caër
Friday’s seventh stage to Bordeaux proved to be a much calmer day for the French national champion, with another opportunity for the sprinters on the cards. Once again, Clément Russo fought to secure a good placing. “The race was much more aggressive than it had been in Pau,” said Yvon. “He corrected the positioning mistake he made two days earlier, when he had been a little too far back with one kilometre to go. This time, he really committed, perhaps even too much, as he had to spend energy into the wind to move up, and that took its toll physically. When the sprint began, he was actually in a good position, but his legs were already gone. He finished 16th, but he really committed himself, and eventually things will go his way. We need to keep racing like this, and I’m convinced we can achieve a strong result. Tomorrow’s finale is quite technical, and that suits him well. It may even be the finish that suits him best in this Tour. Then on Sunday, it will be a battle to make the breakaway. Everyone will have a chance. As for Romain, we’ll assess the situation on the morning of the stage. One thing is certain: we’ll give it everything we have. And if we reach our physical limits, we’ll have no regrets.”
