It’s been almost two months since we last saw the blue-white-red jersey shine in a cycling race. Not really in good spirits since his success on the Polynormande in August, Paul Lapeira finally found some color this Sunday in Italy, on the Agostoni Cup. Very solid to follow Marc Hirschi (UAE Team Emirates), Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) and the Spanish champion Alex Aranburu (Movistar Team) following theSwitzerland’s decisive attack in the last difficulty of the course, more than 40 km from the finish, the runner Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale initially collaborated well before trying everything to avoid a four-way sprint. Without success for the young French champion, who failed to surprise Hirschilogically winner, nor his young compatriot, who beat him by one place on the final podium.
Video – Romain Grégoire’s reaction after his 2nd place in Italy
“Overall happy with the day, the team did a good job”
A result which nevertheless bodes well for the end of the season and the Italian classics. Paul Lapeira returned in a press release from the Savoyard team on his performance. “I went out in a breakaway with around thirty riders including, at one point, up to five DECATHLON AG2R LA MONDIALE riders. Geoffrey (Bouchard) worked a lot to keep the team in this good situation. In the last lap of the circuit, there are four of us with Marc Hirschi, Romain Grégoire and Alex Aranburu and we go to the end together.”
“I have no regrets…”
“I knew they were fast in the sprint. I wanted to try to surprise them but I started from a little far away and Marc Hirschi was able to take my wheel and pass me in the final. I tried something ‘fairly optimistic but I have no regrets because to win, you have to try, that’s the game. But overall I’m happy with the day, the team did a good job“, he concluded.
