The juniors of Creuse Oxygène Guéret almost made a full cardboard, during this weekend, around the Sioule Limagne basin (see rankings). There was only the first step won by Romain Couzon (the Motte-Servolex Cyclisme) to deprive them of the Grand Slam. But this first confrontation allowed Louis Toupenet to position himself in ambush, less than 30 seconds from his opponent. “I still had a much more offensive tactic on Saturday. I created the two escapes to hurt the guys. And frankly, it succeeded well. Just at the end, I had a little trouble in the last two laps with the big wall. But otherwise, it went well”he says when he returns to the start of his weekend.
The rest on Sunday morning was favorable to the protégés of Yoann David, with a team time won and which tightened the differences. “A team time, it always reflects the general, physical and collective level of a team. So it’s very good. We win with a nice lead. In addition we lost fifteen seconds in the last three kilometers having cafuillated our walking plan”says the technician. In the afternoon, this time there was no scraper in tactics. “As we already had two friends in the breakaway, we let the other teams roll”Louis Toupenet analysis. “It’s almost blackboardrejoices Yoann David. What they did was what we decided to do before departure, to a runner. “.
“Success is there, so much the better”
What could be better than ending the weekend with a double success. “Gabin (Gauthier) offers himself the victory after being perfect. Behind, I waited for the right time to go out with a group, to take 20 seconds to pass to the general”explains Louis Toupenet. Yoann David was a happy sports director on Sunday evening. “Success is there, so much the better. We could have not won neither step nor general, they would still have made a very good race. And the debriefing would still have been rather positive. There, there is nothing to say. It is a very beautiful weekend. Whether on raw results or on work with kids”. It must be said that with other junior races opposite, the competition suggested a good weekend to the Creuse Oxygène Guéret runners. “I told them yesterday morning, the level is affordable. There are not the best French people”.
The Creuse structure was also subject to a few DIYs to be able to align a team. And for Yoann David, this is proof that there is depth in its workforce. “We still have a good reserve. We work well. We have guys who progress, perform. We are there to give the best of ourselves. And afterwards, the gross result, if it comes, it’s a bonus. If they had made a good race each time without victory, we would not have reproached them”. It is therefore ultimately three successes that fall, with a Louis Toupenet who intends to keep the shape for some time. “The objective is still the New Aquitaine championship. But if not, the next deadline is the Pyrenees classic next weekend”. With perhaps more density, this time.
