For the eighth time this season, Paul Penhoët claimed a podium finish this Sunday. While the top step is still missing to his belt, the young sprinter from Groupama-FDJ confirmed his consistency in Paris-Chauny, where he took second place behind Arnaud Démare after a messy final. He will have another shot on Wednesday on the Omloop van het Houtland.
From Margny-lès-Compiègne to Chauny, the route wasn’t so easy for the riders this Sunday. The sprinters had indeed to cope with challenging terrain and 2,000 metres of elevation gain to hope and be there in the final straight, after almost 200 kilometres. “The breakaway formed in several steps”, said Frédéric Guesdon. “Two went out quite early, two others a little later and that got the race going again. They spent most of the day in the lead, and we took the chase in hand with Eddy, who got the help of other sprinters teams.” “The fact that the race opened up again at the halfway point didn’t bother us at all,” added Paul Penhoët. “It made it quite dynamic and harder. On the finishing circuit, there was also some action, but that suited me quite well because I was in good condition. I also had Cyril and Clément with me, and we always managed to position ourselves well in the last 80 kilometres. We didn’t suffer any unnecessary splits with the accelerations or after the climbs. It was great.” At the front, the breakaway held on until thirty kilometres from the finish, and the attacks then came in the peloton on the last two climbs of the day.
“I had the legs to win”, Paul Penhoët
“There were a few attacks, especially on the last climb”, continued Frédéric. “Xandro Meurisse went clear, and four others found themselves chasing. With ten kilometres to go, we got to a small road, and we got a bit trapped because some riders blocked the road. The breakaway immediately opened up a small gap, and there was a bit of panic. We were forced to use some guys earlier and that disorganized the group a bit. We eventually only got back to the breakaway at the flamme rouge, and it resulted in a messy sprint”. From the inside, Paul Penhoët confirmed: “It was chaotic in the last kilometers. My plan was to be in first or second position after the last corner and to open my sprint right away. There were 350 metres remaining, but I think it was doable with the tailwind. In the end, we weren’t able to execute this plan. I especially lost Clément three kilometers from the finish because he got boxed in. I was on my own, but I managed to find the right wheels and switch from one train to another. However, I was still quite far behind at the last corner, so I took the inside to overtake some guys. Yet, by taking the inside, I necessarily braked a little more and took me longer to get back up to speed. By the time I got going again, Arnaud [Démare] had already launched his sprint.”
Despite a great comeback in the final straight, in the wake of his former teammate, Paul Penhoët was unable to close the whole gap, and had to settle for second place at the finish. “I only got back to him in the last 25 metres,” he said. “It’s frustrating because it’s mainly about positioning. I think we had the team and I had the legs to win today. It’s cycling, and we know that sprints can be tricky.” “We couldn’t really lead him out, he found himself a bit alone, but he managed to get a good result nonetheless,” added Frédéric. “It’s frustrating because he’s very often close, but he mustn’t give up and lose morale. He still has a few chances, and he’ll maybe win where we expect him the least. He has to keep going like this.” Paul Penhoët will be lining up at the Omloop van het Houtland on Wednesday. “There are still a few races left and I hope to get a win by the end of the season,” he added. “The positive point is that the shape is still good at this time of year.”
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