Tarn-et-Garonne almost obliged to retain its title

This year it is the Gers village of Clermont Pouyguillès (32) which is hosting the road cycling championships of the Occitanie region, and the organization is entrusted to the UV Auch Gers Gascogne club. Six titles will be awarded including Elite Open 1, Open 2, Open 3, Access 3 and 4, Access 1 and 2, and the hopeful title which will be awarded during the Elites race. Among the sixteen entered on the Tarn-et-Garonne side we find in Elites and Open 1, for CA Castelsarrasin, Aurélien Costeplane, Noam Fontenelle, Matthieu Lavignac, Théo Delmas, Julian Fabre, Paul Picard, and Hugo Roméo, and for Montauban cycling 82 Bastien Leturgie, Léo Pendery, Alexis Deus, Cyril Couture, and Mathias Dufaure. We note a major absence, in the person of Luca De Vincenzi who, victim of a fall at the Tour de la Manche, and a crack in his scaphoid, must observe a period of rest. Too bad because Luca was one of the favorites. In the Open 2 and 3 category, we will find for CA Castelsarrasin Valentin Cassaro, Corentin Cassaro, and Nathan Delmas; in the Access category, Nicolas Panissard, and Daniel Salgado will represent Montauban cycling 82, and Joël Feutrier CA Castelsarrasin. The proposed circuit is hilly, and should suit a powerful and seasoned runner. However, often championships give rise to bizarre races, and the leaders find themselves fulfilling the role of crew; this was the case of Artus Jaladeau in 2023; in Montgesty. The most coveted title is that of the Elite category, a podium monopolized last year by the Tarn-et-Garonnais, with Baptiste Lavigne, Mathieu Lavignac, and Léo Pendery. This year, it may be more complicated, the opposition is of quality with the GSC Blagnac VS 31 which presents 15 riders, including the former pro Jean Goubert, and Béziers Méditerranée cycling which will be present with 14 riders, including Quentin Navarro, currently the leader of the N3 French Cup. But the Tarn-et-Garonnais, most of whom play within the N1 Occitane Legend wheels team, must race in the lead and not let the major titles in the Elite and Hope categories slip away. For the other categories the races will be open, notably in Access, where the Montalbanais Nicolas Panissard and Daniel Salgado can hope for a podium.

Practical details. The circuit is 19.4 km long, it will be covered 7 times for the Open 1/Elite/Espoirs, i.e. a distance of 135.8 km; the start will be given at 1:30 p.m. Open 2/Open 3: 6 laps: i.e. 116.400 km: start at 1:35 p.m.; Access to be covered 4 times or 77,600 km.