On Tuesday, the Groupama-FDJ cycling finished the crucial Paris-Nice team time trial with a bitter feeling. Around Auxerre, over 27 kilometers, the yellow jersey Laurence Pithie, David Gaudu and their teammates gave their best to set the best possible performance. In the mix at the intermediate point, they however lost more than hoped in the second part due to unfavourable weather conditions. The team eventually took fourteenth place, 1’01 behind UAE Team Emirates. Overall, Laurence Pithie is now twenty-seventh, David Gaudu thirty-second, while a completely different race will start on Wednesday towards Mont Brouilly.
After what seemed to be a conclusive experience in 2023, the organizers of Paris-Nice decided to repeat it this year. Not only was the team time trial again on the menu of the “Race to the Sun”, but it also came along with the specificity to stop the time at the first rider to cross the line. Around Auxerre, the event took place over twenty-seven kilometers on Tuesday, with two similar hills (two kilometres at 4.5%) in the first half, then a long, slightly downhill return, before a final ramp to the finish. Groupama-FDJ was also the last team to set off on the course after Laurence Pithie took the yellow jersey on Monday, and that proved to be an important fact. The New Zealander and his teammates were expected on the start ramp at 4:04 p.m., and UAE Team Emirates then had the best time at the finish in 31’23. Although a small shower broke out shortly after the start of the French squad, the first kilometres proved to be quite good. After the two climbs, they even set the seventh time at the intermediate checkpoint, twenty-two seconds behind Soudal-Quick Step but only five behind UAE.
“The teams that started at the end were at a disadvantage,” Anthony Bouillod
It was also, and unfortunately, at that point that it all became complicated. “The guys rode very well technically speaking, and according to the plan we had set,” said Anthony Bouillod. “We’re just frustrated that the conditions were different compared to the recon. This morning, there was a nice tailwind on the fast part for the return. When we got there, after the shower, there was no wind at all. We immediately realized that the pace was slower during the race than during the recon, which the riders actually did at a moderate pace. At that point, we actually understood that something had changed.” Although Groupama-FDJ still had six riders to tackle the second half of the race, this proved to be not enough considering the weather conditions. At the finish, Laurence Pithie and David Gaudu delivered a strong sprint, together, but the clock stopped one minute and one second after the UAE Team Emirates’ mark, giving the team fourteenth position. “If we look at the gaps at the intermediate and at the finish, we clearly see that the teams that started at the end were at a disadvantage, but it’s all part of cycling,” confided Anthony.
“It was an honour to wear the yellow jersey”, Laurence Pithie
“That’s the team time trial’s law,” David said. “Technically, we did things right. We couldn’t go any faster.” “It was a really hard day,” added Laurence, who covered the course with the yellow jersey. “The boys did well, we kept it together really nicely, we pushed hard on the climbs, and we brought it home quite strongly. It was a solid day. Personally, it was an honour for me to wear the yellow jersey, I didn’t come here expecting this. It was a nice bonus”. After David Gaudu benefited from the team time trial last year, it wasn’t meant to be this time. “We’re definitely disappointed since we came for a better result and above all to limit much more the gaps to the main leaders,” concluded Anthony. “Starting last didn’t help us, but we were all happy with Laurence’s yellow jersey yesterday. We have no regrets from this point of view.” After three stages, the New Zealander is in 26th position, 51 seconds behind new leader Brandon McNulty. David Gaudu is 32nd at 1’01, but the climbs are looming. On Wednesday, the bunch will already have to cover 3,300 meters of elevation gain towards Mont Brouilly (3 km at 7.7%), in a stage without any flat meter. “I felt better than I thought today, and it was a good way to start the engine,” added David. “Let’s now head to tomorrow and the end of the week”.
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