Second Place Again for Groupama-FDJ at Faun Ardèche Classic
Just like last year, when David Gaudu lost a sprint finish to Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step), Groupama-FDJ comes away with a second-place finish at the Faun Ardèche Classic, held this past Saturday.
A Thrilling Finale
The race featured a challenging course with over 3,000 meters of climbing spread across a 169.5-kilometer loop around Guilherand-Granges. The final kilometers were particularly demanding, with no respite for the riders. Around 25 kilometers from the finish line, the brutal climb towards Saint-Romain-de-Lerps, including the infamous “Mur de Cornas” (a 6.3km section averaging 7.6% gradient), saw an attack by Mattias Skjelmose of the Lidl-Trek team.
A Four-Man Breakaway and a Close Finish
Skjelmose’s attack formed a breakaway group of four riders: himself, Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ), Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates), and Felix Gall (AG2R Citroën Team). They remained together until the final sprint.
In the end, it was Spanish rider Juan Ayuso who emerged victorious, outpacing Grégoire in a close sprint. Skjelmose and Gall followed close behind in third and fourth place, respectively.
Grégoire Reflects on the Race
While disappointed not to take the win, Romain Grégoire acknowledged the strong performance of the other riders: “I’m inevitably a little disappointed, but Juan Ayuso was very strong today. He deserved the win.”
This second-place finish adds to Groupama-FDJ’s consistent performances in recent races, but they will undoubtedly be aiming for the top step of the podium in future events.
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