The Groupama-FDJ cycling team approached the second Monument of the season, the Tour of Flanders, with high ambitions on Sunday. Unfortunately, the racing events and the riders’ physical condition didn’t allow them to achieve their major objectives. Stefan Küng crashed at the decisive moment, Laurence Pithie came too short despite being up there during the first big moves, and Valentin Madouas had to settle in a group behind the strongest men in the race. The French champion eventually crossed the line in sixteenth position.
While Paris-Roubaix will mark the end of the cobbled Classics next week, the “Flemish” campaign was set to come to an end this Sunday with the most beautiful, the greatest, and the most iconic of them all. From Antwerp to Oudenaarde, over 270 kilometers, the 108th Tour of Flanders concentrated the riders’ dreams and the public’s passion. To conquer the second Monument of the season, it was necessary to overcome seventeen climbs, including the Oude Kwaremont three times, the Paterberg twice, but also the terrifying Koppenberg, as well as seven cobbled sectors. Difficulties were only expected from mid-race, and a breakaway of eight including Bert Van Lerberghe, Luke Durbridge, Elmar Reinders, Damien Touzé, Lionel Taminiaux, Stanislaw Aniolkowski, David Dekker and Jelle Vermoote first opened the way with a four-minute lead. In the first “bergs”, and particularly approaching them, the tension very much increased in the peloton, the first splits occurred, and the first attacks went. Laurence Pithie proved particularly attentive and followed some accelerations at the top of Molenberg. Yet, shortly before the Berendries, a solid group of attackers notably made of Mads Pedersen, Dylan Van Baarle, Tiesj Benoot and Nils Politt forced the peloton into a hard chase.
“Stefan’s race ended with the crash”, Frédéric Guesdon
Mathieu van der Poel, followed by Laurence Pithie, eventually closed this breakaway back himself in the Valkenberg, with the exception of Pedersen and his teammate Vermeersch. The duo kept on going despite a large peloton, while Stefan Küng’s race took a completely different turn with 82 kilometres to go. “A rider from Astana hit a spectator and it was impossible to avoid him,” explained the Swiss man. “I found myself caught in a crash and I didn’t see it coming.” While Laurence Pithie and Valentin Madouas kept their position in the main pack, Stefan Küng was forced into a tough chase. Thanks to the help of Lewis Askey then Fabian Lienhard, he finally came back before heading to the Oude Kwaremont for the second time of the day. The Groupama-FDJ leaders all tried to position themselves for this crucial moment when, as expected, the favorites came into play. Mathieu van der Poel started the attacks, but Laurence Pithie made a strong effort to follow and reach the top with only five riders, while the breakaway was caught. Valentin came back shortly after, before heading towards the Paterberg, while Stefan Küng paid off for his previous efforts. “I started Oude Kwaremont a bit far behind, and I had to put my foot on the ground twice,” he said. “At the top, I think I wasn’t that far from the leading men, but I couldn’t benefit from drafting anymore and my race ended there.”
“Stefan’s race ended with the fall,” confirmed Frédéric. “When he came back, the race was already on. The race is hard enough without any setbacks, but when you have a crash, a knee pain and that you’re not in the right timing, it’s really difficult to have any impact.” Groupama-FDJ therefore lost one of its three cards, and the following climb of Paterberg proved tough for its two other candidates. Laurence Pithie fought as best he could while Valentin Madouas, too far behind at the bottom, entered a second group. The positions were quite the same tackling the terrible Koppenberg right after. Mathieu van der Poel then went away for good, while behind him, almost all of the riders got stopped due to the slope and the slippery cobblestones. “A rider put his feet on the ground, and so everyone did, before running alongside their bikes,” explained Valentin, who was almost back on the first chasers. “This is the first time this has happened to me in a race. With the rain, we weren’t moving forward at all on the cobbles.” Around ten riders eventually completed the Koppenberg before the French champion, who was pushed back to a third group with around twenty men.
“I gave everything I had”, Valentin Madouas
In trouble in the past two climbs, Laurence Pithie came back alongside his teammate, but when a big push in the final Oude Kwaremont/Paterberg sequence made it possible again to aim for the podium, the Groupama -FDJ men didn’t manage to keep up. Valentin Madouas found himself in a fourth group, more than thirty seconds behind his closest rivals. While Mathieu van der Poel took his third win on the “Ronde”, the French champion therefore had to settle for sixteenth place at the finish. “It was a really hard race, and the conditions made it even harder”, he said. “I suffered from the rain physically speaking. The result reflects the level I had today. There are no excuses. I gave everything I had today.” “Valentin thought he was better physically speaking, but he was a bit under some others,” said Frédéric. “When you are not 100% in this kind of race, especially for him who tends to ride conservatively, it is difficult to be in front. Laurence came a bit short in the end, but we expected that a little after Gent-Wevelgem. He still had a very good first Tour of Flanders. Then, there is Stefan’s crash, but we started with three leaders precisely to have other options in case one of them had issues. The result is therefore still very disappointing, and it was a difficult day for us.”
The Classics group now hopes to finish on a high note next weekend on the Hell of the North. “We would have preferred to get to Paris-Roubaix with better results, but perhaps this Tour of Flanders will be forgotten next Sunday by a very good result in Roubaix,” added Frédéric. “It’s totally possible.” “I was ruled out of the race without being able to play my cards today,” Stefan added. “We just need to switch mentally and now focus on Paris-Roubaix.”
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