2023-06-25 14:53:00
And France championship totally crazy! Crazy in intensity, the men’s road race of this 2023 edition of the France devoted Valentin Madouas, the strongest in the northern heat and on the terrible Cassel circuit! After extracting himself from a group of tough guys with his teammates David Gaudu et Rudy Molardthe Breton of Groupama-FDJ took off in a bump 21 kilometers from the finish to offer himself the first blue-white-red jersey of his professional career and bring the ninth title to the formation managed by Marc Madiot. Rudy Molard put the icing on the cake Groupama-FDJ taking second place, just under 2 minutes behind the new French champion.
Valentin Madouas, the new French road champion!
A great podium for Julien Bernard
Author of a race full of courage and fighting spirit, Julian Bernard completed the podium, while Tony Gallopinhis friend from the Trek-Segafredotook fourth place, and that Nans Peters (AG2R Citroën Team) crossed the line in fifth position. As for the headliners of French cycling, Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ), Benoit Cosnefroy (AG2R Citroën Team) et David Gaudu finished seventh, fourteenth and fifteenth respectively. THE Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step), Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) and other Warren Barguil (Team Arkéa-Samsic) did not finish a race that will go down in the annals of French cycling!
A large group escapes… the four leaders of Groupama-FDJ at the front!
The 129 runners on the starting line this Sunday morning set off around 11:10 a.m., for 15 laps and 224 km to be completed around Cassel. Under an already perceptible heat – and which should play a big role this afternoon – the first kilometers are very fast to try to form the first breakaway of this long day. On the first pass over the line, a fine trio made up of Quentin Pacher (Groupama-FDJ), Nans Peters (AG2R Citroën Team) et Clement Russo (Team Arkéa-Samsic) has a lead of 30 seconds, while some riders are already behind the peloton. The tone is set, we should see quite a construction site on the roads of the North!
Finally, the three escapees are quickly taken back by the pack and there are again multiple offensives. A very important race movement occurs more than 180 kilometers from the finish as a group of twenty-two runners takes to their heels. A team then finds itself in an excellent situation: the Groupama-FDJ ! This one has indeed eight men in front, of which its four leaders who are David Gaudu, Thibaut Pinot, Valentin Madouas et Romain Gregoire. These are accompanied by Bruno Armirail, Rudy Molard, Quentin Pacher et Olivier Le Gac.
Guilaume Martin and Thibaut Pinot leave the game, only ten riders left for the title
Awareness of the difficulties encountered at the front by Dorian Godon as soon as the road rises, the team AG2R Citroen Team begins to roll within the peloton. The gap narrows significantly, then Nans Peters picks up the pace in the ascent of the Porte d’Aire to Benoit Cosnefroy. Alone Clement Champoussin et David Gaudu manage to follow the duo of the Savoyard team, Guillaume Martin et Thibaut Pinot being particularly in pain! Returned to 20 seconds from Madouas, Molard, Gesbert et Le Berre – Thank you, Gregory et Costiou were let loose – the trio Cosnefroy–Champoussin–Gaudu then sees the return of Nans Peters and the two riders of the Trek-Segafredo, Julian Bernard et Tony Gallopin.
Gallopin, Peters et Champoussin come out of the counter group and manage to make the connection with the leading quartet 46 kilometers from the finish, the now seven breakaways having a margin of about thirty seconds on Cosnefroy, Gaudu et Bernard. At the end of the 12th of the 15 race laps, David Gaudu et Benoit Cosnefroy make a big effort in the final bump to get back on the leading men, which is done when they cross the finish line. Distanced in the climb by Gaudu et Cosnefroy, Julian Bernardwith courage, made his return to the front a few minutes later, and they are therefore ten who can still be champion of France with 35 terminals to go.
Groupama-FDJ puts on a show, Valentin Madouas heads for the title
The first to crack is Mathis Le Berrethen an acceleration of Gaudu in the rise of the Porte de Dunkerque hurts Champoussin. Also in the hard Cosnefroy loses a few lengths, but finds the resources to come back. In the descent, a break is made, Cosnefroy, Gaudu et Gallopin being the three trapped runners. In the penultimate ascent of the Porte d’Aire, David Gaudu made the effort to regain his place in the leading group. The Breton returns by dropping Cosnefroy et Gallopin… then he goes on the attack in the highest percentages. His teammate Valentin Madouas is the only one who can follow him, while Rudy Molard, alone in third position, points to a few seconds. The latter returns in the descent, which means that we find three riders from the Groupama-FDJ at the top of France championship 25 miles from goal!
We then say to ourselves that we are going to witness the first hat-trick since 1978, but David Gaudu parked literally 23 miles from the goal after passing a final big stint. A few moments later, Rudy Molard gets left behind by Valentin Madouas, who then flew to the title of champion of France. Very strong, the native of Brest presses hard on the pedals, which allows him to have a substantial lead over a quartet made up of Julian Bernard, Tony Gallopin, Nans Peters et Rudy Molard. Just over 10 terminals from the finish, a mechanical problem forced Madouas to change bikes, but it would have taken much more to prevent the Breton from becoming champion of France. Behind, the last two places on the podium are decided between Gallopin, Bernard et Molard – Peters was let go – and it is Molard who proves to be the strongest in the finish line, Bernard completing the podium. What a race and what a French champion!
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