On Saturday, Brieuc Rolland put a brilliant end to his successful season with “La Conti” with a major victory on Il Lombardia U23. For his very last race with the development team, before joining the WorldTour team this winter, the 21-year-old Frenchman managed to seize his chance in Oggiono. After he made most of the selection in the leading group, he eventually beat his last two rivals in a sprint, although a photo finish was necessary to award him the victory. This is the tenth win of the season for “La Conti”.
A week before the “big boys”, the U23 riders tackled their own “Il Lombardia” this Saturday. Around Oggiono, the race was 170 kilometres long and included three difficulties, all located within the last seventy kilometres. Everything was therefore supposed to happen in the second part of the race, but the day’s scenario proved less predictable than anticipated. “It went very fast in the first hour of racing,” explained Jérôme Gannat. “The average was 45 km/h on the circuit around Oggiono, which we had to do four times before heading to the Madonna del Ghisallo. Then, it eased off at a certain point, a group of fourteen went, then another of seventeen a few minutes later, with Brieuc in there. They made it across in the tunnels preceding the climb of Madonna del Ghisallo. It was a bit confusing, but it is also a U23 race with teams of five riders. Brieuc felt the good move. It wasn’t expected that he would be in front at that point, but he did well, because the favourites like Widar and Nordhagen stayed behind and never came back.” “The goal with the team was mostly not to miss a big break or a dangerous move, and that’s what happened,” added Brieuc. “I found myself in a group of about thirty riders in front, I managed it well, and I hadn’t spent energy before that”.
“I’m super happy to bring this victory to the team,” Brieuc Rolland
A large breakaway eventually approached the Madonna del Ghisallo (8.7 km at 5.4%) with more than a-minute lead on the peloton. “It went quite fast up front, and the group split apart,” added Brieuc. Embret Svestad-Bårdseng went on his own for a bit but was joined shortly after the descent by a group of eight riders, including Brieuc Rolland. All these riders then headed towards the penultimate climb, with slopes at 10%, where the rider from “La Conti” decided to make a selection. After a few accelerations, the Breton reduced the group to just four units, namely Svestad-Bårdseng, Federico Savino, Gal Glivar and himself. “Brieuc reads the race quite well and knows his qualities,” said Jérôme. “He wanted to avoid the sprint, and he was very active in the final. When the four of them went, everyone collaborated until the last climb (1.5km at 8%), where Brieuc attacked again. He made a small gap, and I thought that if he could tackle the descent to Oggiono alone, it was done.” “I gave it my all on the last climb, I went alone, but I was caught by Gilvar just before the downhill,” said Brieuc. The two men entered the last five kilometers together, and Savino even got back to them with two kilometres to go.
A three-man sprint was then on the cards approaching the final straight. “I still believed in my sprint abilities, because it would mainly come down to what was left in everyone’s legs,” said the Frenchman. “Sprinting is not his specialty, but this sprint is special and often very contested”, added Jérôme. “In the last few meters, the slightly less explosive riders sometimes manage to come back.” In second position when the sprint opened, Brieuc Rolland was quickly overtaken by Federico Savino, but he did not crack, and he managed to make his comeback just before the finish. The Italian and the Frenchman crossed the line almost simultaneously. “They first announced Savino as the winner, then we went to see the photo finish, and then, it was pure joy,” said Jérôme. “I was the one who announced it to Brieuc. He asked me if I was really sure, and I told him that I had seen the photo. It was decided by 3-4 centimetres, but it was enough. The outcome was in our favour, for once”. It was then with a significant victory that Brieuc Rolland capped his season. “I’m very happy, especially since I was really disappointed last week after the world championships,” he said. “I worked hard to take gold, but I got really frozen, and I completely missed my race. It’s great to be able to make up for it today. Plus, it was my last race with La Conti. They gave me so much. I’m super happy to be able to bring them this victory. I will remember this day for a while.”
“This highlights the work that has been done over the last two years”, Jérôme Gannat
After his victory in the Course de la Paix, his top-5 in Liège-Bastogne-Liège U23 and his top-10 in the Tour de l’Avenir, Brieuc Rolland has added quite a line to his record, and he will be lining up with the WorldTeam tomorrow for the Coppa Agostoni. “Winning Il Lombardia U23 before moving up to the WorldTour can only boost your confidence,” said Jérôme. “His time with La Conti ends in the best possible way. This highlights the work that has been done over the last two years. He has really progressed a lot. He is a rider you can count on every time the race gets tough. I often said that he was missing a little something for victory, and today he got it. It’s great. I said yesterday evening at the briefing that they should have stars in their eyes when they come to this race. Generally speaking, races that have the same name as WorldTour events feel special. When we say that we won Il Lombardia U23, it leaves quite an impression.” Joshua Golliker (8th) and Maxime Decomble (14th) also delivered a great race this Saturday, and it will now be up to their teammates in Paris-Tours, on Sunday, to imitate them.
