For the eighth time this season this Sunday, Paul Penhoët stepped onto the podium. While the top step still eludes him, the young Groupama-FDJ sprinter confirmed his consistency at Paris-Chauny, where he took second place behind Arnaud Démare at the end of a somewhat confusing finale. He will have another chance on Wednesday at the Omloop van het Houtland.
From Margny-lès-Compiègne to Chauny, it was not a completely linear route that was looming in front of the peloton this Sunday. The sprinters had to master a leg-breaking terrain and 2000 meters of elevation gain to hope to fight in the final straight, after almost 200 kilometers. “The breakaway started in two stages, said Frédéric Guesdon. Two came out quite early, two others a little later and that relaunched the race a little. They spent most of the day in the lead, and we rode with Eddy in the company of other teams of sprinters. “The fact that it relaunched in the middle of the course did not disadvantage us, added Paul Penhoët. It made the race quite dynamic and harder. On the final circuit, there was also some movement, but that suited me quite well because I was in good condition. I also had Cyril and Clément with me, and we always managed to position ourselves well in the last 80 kilometers, without taking unnecessary breaks, in the restarts or after the bumps. It was great. At the front, the breakaway held on until thirty kilometers from the finish, and the race then restarted in the peloton thanks to the last two climbs of the day.
“I had the condition to win,” Paul Penhoet
“There were a few attacks, especially on the last hill, Frederic continued. Xandro Meurisse went out and four others found themselves in counterattack. At ten kilometers, we took a small road and we got a bit trapped because some blocked the passage. The attackers immediately opened up a small gap, and there was a bit of panic. We were forced to take off our boots and that disorganized the group a bit. We only finally got back to the breakaway at the red flame, and that resulted in a rather messy sprint.” From the inside, Paul Penhoët confirmed what his sporting director said. It was chaotic in the last kilometers, he said. My plan was to turn in the lead or second after the last corner, and launch immediately. There were 350 meters left, but I think it was doable with the tailwind. In the end, we weren’t able to put that into practice. In particular, I lost Clément three kilometers from the finish because he got pushed around. I had to fend for myself a bit, but I managed to find the right wheels and switch from one train to another. However, I was still quite far away at the last corner, so I took the inside to overtake some guys. But by taking the inside, I necessarily braked a little more and took me longer to get back up to speed. By the time I got going again, Arnaud [Démare] had already launched his sprint.
Author of a fine comeback in the final straight, in the wake of Picard, Paul Penhoët was nevertheless unable to make up all his lost time, therefore having to be satisfied with second place at the finish. “I only caught up with him in the last 25 metres, he confided. It’s frustrating because it’s mostly a question of positioning. We had the team and I had the condition to win today. It’s still cycling, and we know the hazards in the sprint.” “We couldn’t really take him, he found himself a bit alone but he managed to get a good result despite everything, stressed Frederick. It’s frustrating because he’s very close often, but he mustn’t give up and lose morale. He still has a few chances, and it’s perhaps in the race where we least expect him that he’ll go for the victory. He has to continue like this.” Paul Penhoët will also be present at the Omloop van het Houtland this Wednesday. “There are still a few races left and we hope to raise our arms by the end of the season.punctuated the person concerned. The positive point is that the condition is still good at this time of year.”
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