On the Grand Prix de Nogent-sur-Oise on Sunday, “La Conti” Groupama-FDJ took another top result, and Ronan Augé claimed his very first podium in a one-day race with the French team. In the bunch sprint that concluded the race, the 20-year-old took third place, while Lewis Bower finished just outside the top 10 (11th).
One hundred and seventy-two kilometres were on the riders’ menu on Sunday around Nogent-sur-Oise, on an easy route which therefore suggested a bunch finish. Given its status, “La Conti” Groupama-FDJ expected to have to control the race. “We had the sprinters to do well, so we had no choice but to go and pull, while avoiding the tricky scenario of a large breakaway,” explained Jérôme Gannat. “We had to take responsibility, and the guys did it very well. It was quite straightforward at first, and three riders went clear after one lap. We led the chase all day, even though we had only five riders at the start, with the help of one or two teams. The breakaway took three minutes, but Titouan, Colin, and Jens did a good job in the back. The breakaway was caught a bit before the last lap, then it got more complicated because there were a lot of attacks. Two riders went away, then a group of eight also attacked with Titouan. Arkéa-B&B Hôtels Continentale had to chase them down and the attackers were caught five kilometres from the finish.”
“A good team spirit”, Jérôme Gannat
Despite the late moves, a bunch sprint did take shape in the streets of Nogent-sur-Oise, where “La Conti” secured a double top-10 back in 2019 with Karl Patrick Lauk and Théo Nonnez. “It was a bit of a chaotic sprint, because it was a long straight of almost three kilometres and there weren’t really any teams to lead it out,” added Jérôme. “It was almost every man for himself. We had Lewis and Ronan up there for the final, but they lost each other in the last kilometres. Ronan managed to find his way through, and he was able to secure a nice third place”. Justin Ducret won the race, and Lewis Bower took eleventh place on the finish line. “It’s another podium for the team”, concluded Jérôme. “Ronan keeps on going after his solid Tour of Britain. From a general point of view, it was also a good day because Titouan Fontaine did well, and we had not seen Jens with this form for some time. They all showed a good team spirit. We only had five riders out of seven, but we managed well despite this disadvantage”.
“La Conti” will be back racing on Saturday for Paris-Vierzon, for another possible bunch sprint.
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