The fourth edition of O Gran Camiño started this Wednesday with a first stage made for the sprinters. Because of Matt Walls’ last-minute withdrawal, Groupama-FDJ were unable to collect a convincing result at the finish, but their leaders crossed the line safely and with the same time as the winner, Magnus Cort. Also, a much more suitable finale is looming on Thursday.
Before returning to its home territory, meaning Galicia, the Spanish race of O Gran Camiño started with a 100% Portuguese stage this Wednesday. From Maia to Matosinhos, nearly 190 kilometres were on the menu for the riders, on relatively flat terrain that suggested a bunch sprint in the end. Unfortunately, Groupama-FDJ saw their chances dropping with the last-minute withdrawal of Matt Walls, who fell ill. “It really changed our plans,” confirmed Philippe Mauduit. “We had brought Matt in order to start well O Gran Camiño with this stage that had a 99.9% chance of finishing in a sprint. In races like this, the sprints are quite open, and it was a great opportunity for him. In the end, we didn’t really have a sprinter at the start, and the important thing from then on was not to suffer any split in the final and not be caught off guard.” Behind a six-man breakaway, the French team got in position in the first part of the peloton, with four riders from “La Conti” surrounding Rémy Rochas and Clément Braz Afonso.
“We got through this first stage ok”, Philippe Mauduit
The pack easily controlled the break all day, then a first tense moment appeared about forty kilometres from the finish, before a small, cobbled hill. “We were getting closer to the breakaway very quickly, and even if it was a bit far from the finish, it could have created opportunities for attacks,” Philippe added. “We had to be careful. It was important to be well positioned to be able to follow if it had to be done. And then it’s always good to set small objectives during the day so that the riders stay awake, and to see how the automatisms work, so as to correct what we may need to correct.” The leaders of Groupama-FDJ were not caught out, and only two riders eventually launched a counterattack in this last hour of racing. The attempt was neutralized with six kilometres to go. “The last twenty-five kilometres were very technical, but the boys did a good job protecting our climbers and we got through this first stage ok,” Philippe summarized.Oscar Nilsson-Julien even tried to sneak into the sprint, unsuccessfully. “He had carte blanche because he has good qualities as a track cyclist, and in a sprint that was a bit uncertain as we expected, a rider like him just needs to follow the right wave to get a decent result,” Philippe explained. “He wanted to use his good legs, so we might as well give him the opportunity when it comes. Unfortunately, the door didn’t open in front of him today.” The 23-year-old took twentieth while Magnus Cort won. “It was also the first day of racing for Max Bock and Rémi Daumas this season,” Philippe recalled. “Rémi, who’s just left the junior ranks, had a great day. It is the first time in his life that he did 195 kilometres in racing, and he had a big smile at the finish”. On Thursday, A Estrada will host the first explosive finish of the week. “It’s a finale that suits our punchers well, so we’ll try to do what it takes to get them in the best conditions and get a great result,” Philippe added.
