The Groupama-FDJ’s two leaders managed to get through the numerous traps of a typical first stage of Paris-Nice. Around the city of Plaisir, on Sunday, the bad weather, the echelons and the crashes made the race pretty harsh for the riders. Still, Thibaut Pinot and Rudy Molard were able to finish the stage in the first bunch, just a handful of seconds away from a quartet that Maximilian Schachmann (Bora-hansgrohe) outsprinted to take the day’s victory. Thanks to a time bonus grabbed along the way, Rudy sits in sixth position in the general classification.
Before it got crazy and lively, the day started on quite calm and classic standards. A small breakaway of two riders, including Romain Combaud (Nippo-Delko One Provence) and Jonathan Hivert (Total-Direct Energie), managed to get up front with the blessing of the bunch, that was not yet ready to fight. The duo was then able to take up to five minutes before the tension increased behind them. It happened a first time after barely fifty kilometers. This was followed by a 30-minute battle before things eventually got back together, with the breakaway also being caught. Then, the race’s turning point occurred with 70 kilometers to go, in another windy section while several crashed happened in the bunch. Rudy Molard and Olivier Le Gac found themselves in a first echelon of sixteen riders while Thibaut Pinot took place in the chasing group.
“We wanted to take part in the chase, but Olivier had flat tire” Philippe Mauduit
“I would have liked us to have more riders in front, but Stefan’s crash made the group we were in explode and that’s when the first bunch got away, said Philippe Mauduit after the stage. All the echelons started with this crash. In these circumstances, it’s a bit complicated to judge the riders”. In the lead, anyway, the first three Groupama-FDJ’s riders on the road did their part. “When you’re in an echelon, if you don’t want it to drop you, taking turns is in your own interest,” added Philippe. “Olivier and Rudy were not taking too strong turns in front because we wanted the second echelon to come back. Thibaut also did some turns just not to put himself in danger. Other teams had numbers in the chasing group and it was up to them to do the job.”
However, thirty kilometers of a constant fight were needed before the first two groups joined, just after the first intermediate sprint, which Julian Alaphilippe and Tiesj Benoot took advantage of to get away. The duo then counted up to forty seconds ahead of the first bunch where just a few teammates were pulling. “We wanted to take part in the chase, explained Philippe. The problem is that Olivier had a flat tire ten kilometers from the finish. He had been feeling his tire slowly deflate for a few minutes, but we hoped he could still go all the way. It didn’t happen and we had to change his wheel, otherwise we would have taken part in the chase. Then, having only Rudy and Thibaut, we had to make a choice…”
“It’s a reassuring day” Thierry Bricaud
Benoot and Alaphilippe finally saw Maximilian Schachmann and Dylan Teuns closing the gap on them in the last short climb, and this group eventually played the victory fifteen seconds ahead of the first bunch, with the German being crowned. “Overall it’s a rather good day, we end up pretty well with Rudy and Thibaut managing to finish in front,” concluded Philippe. “It’s a reassuring day that will give us ambitions for the upcoming days,” said Thierry Bricaud. “We managed it pretty well even if we must not forget that there are two complicated days ahead. We had the confirmation that Thibaut is doing well, so does Rudy, and we will see how it unfolds later.” Another positive point, Stefan Küng finished the stage without real injuries. “He crashed but got up very quickly,” said Thierry. “He obviously couldn’t get back into the race head because there were a lot of echelons and the race was completely broken up. But he was able to finish the stage and there’s nothing too bad apparently. It’s just a shame because he could have been an important asset for us in the end. “
The Swiss time trial champion will have another chance to be so tomorrow between Chevreuse and Chalette-sur-Loing, where another lively race is expected. “It’s going to be very nervous”, predicts Philippe. “There are some direction’s changes and there should mostly be a ¾ head wind, and sometimes a side wind. Everything can be done and undone tomorrow. We do not plan to lose our advantage, but on the opposite, we aim to confirm it. We will try to ride in front, as we have done today, knowing that on this kind of terrain, it is not easy for anyone. Today our riders have gained confidence and we will do the best we can tomorrow.”
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