UNPRECEDENTED HAT-TRICK IN FRANCHE-COMTÉ

Since 2023, mid-April, a trio of races has taken its place in the spring calendar: Classic Grand Besançon, the Tour du Jura and the Tour du Doubs. These events are of particular importance to the Groupama-FDJ cycling team because of its strong ties with Franche-Comté, having both its Performance Centre and La Conti based in the region. To shine in these competitions was therefore an obvious objective, and the least we can say is that it was achieved: victory on Friday, victory on Saturday, victory on Sunday! First of all, in Besançon, on the terrible slopes of the Malate, Lenny Martinez was the strongest on the final ascent. The following day on Mont Poupet, it was David Gaudu's turn to raise his arms and open his 2024 counter. Finally, on the third day, Lenny Martinez did it again, giving the team a stunning hat-trick. A few days later, the pair were to team up again at the Tour de Romandie, joining forces in the Swiss mountains to take eighth place overall with Lenny Martinez and fourteenth with David Gaudu.

DOUBLE TOP-10 IN ROUBAIX TO CONCLUDE NORTHERN CAMPAIGN

Earlier in April, Paris-Roubaix closed the book on cobbled classics. Following in the footsteps of the spectacular editions of previous years, this year's Hell of the North was once again decided a long way from the finish. A pair composed of Stefan Küng and Laurence Pithie, both very much at their best throughout the whole campaign, got involved in this marathon battle. But at the entrance to the Templeuve sector, the New Zealander crashed and lost contact with the leading group. Stefan Küng held onto the wheels of the other podium contenders until the Carrefour de l'Arbre and eventually finished fifth. Laurence Pithie, who never gave up, finished seventh in his very first participation in this Monument.

THE TEAM IN THE TOP-7 OF THE THREE ARDENNES CLASSICS

Following on from the Flandriennes and Paris-Roubaix, the Ardennes classics took place from 14 to 21 April. In the Amstel Gold Race, Valentin Madouas finished sixth and Quentin Pacher eighth. At the top of the Mur de Huy, Romain Grégoire took seventh place in the Flèche Wallonne, which was contested in dantesque weather conditions. Romain Grégoire who, on Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the fourth Monument of the year, went on the offensive and took part in the battle for the final podium, but was caught out in the final kilometres. In the end, it was Valentin Madouas who claimed a result, taking seventh place. In each of these three races, the Groupama-FDJ cycling team placed a rider in the top-7.

It's time for the first Grand Tour of the season! The 2024 Giro d'Italia will take place from 4 to 26 May, and it will be the Groupama-FDJ cycling team's twentieth appearance in this historic event. Fourteen-time stage winner, four-time winner of distinctive classifications and fourth in the overall classification in 2017 with Thibaut Pinot, the team intends to shine again this year. It is a resolutely young team that has lined up for the occasion, with the revelation of the first part of the year Laurence Pithie, as well as Lewis Askey, Clément Davy, Lorenzo Germani and Enzo Paleni, all former riders at La Conti. Three more experienced athletes, Cyril Barthe, Olivier Le Gac and Fabian Lienhard, complete the squad.

This 107th edition of the Giro d'Italia will start in Turin and finish in Rome. The first part of the programme will offer a variety of routes, often with probable sprint finishes, which will provide opportunities for the fastest riders. The climbers will definitely have the floor from the fifteenth stage and the entry into the Alps, with prestigious finishes at Livigno, Monte Pana and the Passo del Brocon. The highlight will be the twentieth stage, the day before the final finish, with the double ascent of Monte Grappa, a historical place in Italian cycling and in the history of the Giro, which dominates the Venetian plain.

As part of its "Par passion du vélo" programme, Groupama is not only committed to the professional cyclists of the Groupama-FDJ Cycling Team, but also to amateur riders. Through the "Ton Club, Ton Maillot" operation, Groupama has been supporting amateur cycling clubs for the past four years by providing them with complete outfits (jerseys and shorts) for their members. In total, more than 480 clubs and 12,600 members have already benefited from equipment that has nothing to envy that of the pros.

Aware that it is these associations that fuel the passion for cycling at local level, Groupama is renewing its commitment and launching season 5 of "Ton Club, Ton Maillot". At the end of the application phase, 120 clubs will have been selected and will each receive twenty complete competition kits personalised in their colours.

Applications open on 3 May, but you can already go to the website to pre-register your club and find out more about the operation! Because maybe you'll be next!

May is not just about Giro d'Italia! A number of very interesting French races will be held throughout the month, starting on the roads of Brittany with the GP du Morbihan, the Tro Bro Leon, the Tour du Finistère and the Boucles de l'Aulne, all rounds of the Coupe de France FDJ. The thirteenth act of the competition will also be taking place during this period, on the 30th, with the Mercan'Tour Classic. In between will be the Four Days of Dunkirk, a race the team won last year with Romain Grégoire, as well as the Boucles de la Mayenne. As for La Conti, the menu will also be very French, with Paris-Troyes, the Alpes Isère Tour, the Ronde de l'Oise, as well as a 1.1 classified race in Belgium, the Circuit de Wallonie.