Edoardo Zardini wins Classic Sud Ardèche
February didn't yield much in terms of results for the new boys in the Continental division, Le Coq Sportif, and they wanted to start the month of March on the right foot in the 198 kms long Classic Sud Ardèche.
The boys in blue started both their sprinters, Lucien Chateau and Pierrick Lhermitte, but it became evident the neither were anywhere near the peak of their form as they haven't raced a lot yet this season. Sports Director Ollie must have other races lined up for the duo later on in the month and todays race must therefore be seen as a warm up. They both struggled to keep up with the fast moving peloton especially over the hills, and neither was anywhere near the mass sprint. A trio in blue, Adrien Poisson, Fernando Fouillet and Mickaël Cohen gave it their best shot but finished outside the top 50, over 4 minutes behind winner Edoardo Zardini (Bardiani CSF). Zardini is a Continental Pro rider, but Ollie must really hope his own sprinters can match him at a later stage.
Edited by Ollie23 on 10-07-2015 00:11
March 9th, 2014 Grand Prix Ville de Lillers - Top 5 Finish for Poisson
Finally, Le Coq Sportif did a race to be proud of on the 171 kms long GP Ville de Lillers - Souvenir Bruno Comini. In a peloton with less World tour and Pro Continental teams than Le Coq Sportif have faced earlier this season, the boys in blue were optimistic about a good finish and they brought both their sprinters along with several strong riders on the flat landscape of Lillers.
«I think we did a good race today, we almost timed the last 20 kms to perfection and we almost made the podium,» said a satisfied Ollie.
«What could your riders have done differently towards the end to make the podium or even win the stage?»
«Cohen set a pace that even our two sprintes couldn’t follow,» Ollie said with a chuckle. «There was a lack of communication towards the end and I think the front guys, Mickaël (Cohen), Adrien (Poisson), Pierrick and Lucien (Chateau) almost panicked. It was an unfamiliar situation for them considering the February we’ve had, and they didn’t handle it the way they should’ve. If they could’ve kept together and made sure Lucien didn’t fall off, I think Lucien would’ve had a good chance at winning today.»
Adrien Poisson, by no means a sprinter, was happy with finishing 4th, but agrees with Ollie.
«Yes, definitely. We started too early with only three riders and when I saw I had a small gap after the terrific lead by Mickaël, I thought I just had to go for it. I ran out of steam a bit too soon sadly.»
After a troubling start to the season, an impressive display and a rider in 4th is more than welcome in Le Coq Sportif. Hopefully it’s the start of good things to come.
Depressing? The race reports have been nothing but positive on the performances so far! I'm sure these young riders have some potential and will only get better with time. But definitely update us on any points and ranking positions gained. Maybe to breathe more life into the virtual world also mention once in a while which team/rider is currently leading the rankings/has amassed the most victories, stuff like that.
Le Coq Sportif have been confirmed for the Category 2.HC stage race 4 Jours de Dunkerque in the beginning of May. This will be the first time the newly started team gets a chance to compete at the highest level available for a Continental team. This was also the biggest news as they released their schedule for April and May today.
The next two months features what should be tough races for the young team although it gets a bit easier during the month of May, with the exception of 4 Jours de Dunkerque.
After 4 Jours de Dunkerque at the beginning of May both Circuite de Wallonie and Rhône-Alpes Isère Tour (4 stages) should give Le Coq Sportif a good chance at putting a man on the podium. Gran Prix de Plumelec-Morbihan finishes the race schedule for the month of May.
From what we've seen so far the captains and stage riders have been in form, despite the lack of positive results, and it's hard to predict who they'll send to the stage races in April and May as we expect the young riders' form will soon dip. As mention earlier, to us it looks like maybe the sprinters are getting into form as we speak and could be who Le Coq Sportif will ride for in April and May, although several of the races won't fit them very well.
For Le Coq Sportif who experienced a very positive 4th place in GP Ville de Lillers recently, it was back to business as usual. The team stayed together and kept themselves organized towards the front of the peloton. They came in with their two sprinters, Pierrick Lhermitte and Lucien Chateau, the former delivering the latter in the last few hundred meters, but Lucien didn't have the legs and proved what we feared in our pre-season review in January that he just isn't quick enough to compete with the fastest sprinters in the Continental division yet. The "Sprint train" was far from perfect and only Lhermitte did a decent job, but Lucien was left alone for too long and couldn't find a good wheel to latch onto, a skill he needs to learn. Lucien only managed 44th, but the steam seemed to go out of him on the last 100 meters and he let a bunch of riders get ahead of him.
Hopefully Borgheresi can work his magic soon. This team needs a good sprinter!
Next stage: Classic Loire Atlantique
Have questions for one of the riders or the Sports Director? Leave a comment!Edited by Ollie23 on 10-07-2015 12:01
March 22nd, 2014 Classic Loire Atlantique
Crash Ruins Le Coq Sportif's Race
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The most chaotic race of the season seems to be done after the Classic Loire Atlantique finished this afternoon and for Le Coq Sportif a long and difficult race at a high pace spelt trouble when one of their riders crashed.
Early in the race a group of riders got away in the breakaway. Pierrick Lhermitte tried to get away a few times but his attempts didn’t amount to anything. Instead Le Coq Sportif settled in for a long day in the middle of the pack where they stayed for the next 80 eventless kms. The breakaway group created a gap of 8 minutes before the front of the peloton started to close it, but just as the speed increased at the front, Pierrick Lhermitte crashed and as he got to his feet, was hit by another rider. The rest of Le Coq Sportif slowed down, not sure whether to wait or keep up with the front and before Ollie had given his command, the peloton had split into several smaller groups with a strong group of 50 riders chasing down the breakaway and at the same time losing the rest of the pack. Le Coq Sportif gathered and started relaying at the front of a larger group, leaving the bruised and battered Pierrick Lhermitte behind.
Le Coq Sportif were able to catch up to the 50 man strong peloton and got themselves in a good position only to lose their sprinter on the stage, Lucien Chateau, due to the increase in speed. The kilometers quickly ticked down and the last 20 kilometers were chaotic as several riders attacked, time and time again and caused the small group at the front, where now only Pierrick Chevillard remained, to split up. Only 8 riders participated in the sprint which was won by Ion Izagirre (Movistar). The larger group Chevillard was in came in 4’10’’ behind. The likes of Lucien Chateau, who was the designated sprinter on this stage, gave up as his energy drained and rolled in 12’17’’ behind where he would’ve liked to be.
We’ll give Le Coq Sportif the benefit of the doubt and call it an accident combined with lack of experience, but they do need to show soon that they can stay with the faster teams all the way and we would like to see their sprinters get a decent chance.
Next race: Cholet - Pays De Loire (Where we finally have a photographer covering the race for us!
Have a question for a rider or the Sports Director? Leave a comment!
236 kms in hilly landscape - a stage definitely not designed for younger riders, but Le Coq Sportif hung in there for a long time, riding with 6 guys towards the front of the peloton, just behind the big teams like Belking and Movistar. A breakaway with three riders was allowed to go and had a gap of 9 minutes at the most, but the peloton had them under control and reeled them in 30 kms before the finish line.
Our boys in blue organized at the front
The last 30 kms turned into a fight between the top teams as they set such a high pace at the front that the peloton cracked and turned into several minor groups.
The high pace is starting to stretch the peloton thin
Special mention: Johan Baudot who worked his butt off today, going back three times to fetch water bottles and bring them up to the front of the peloton where his teammates rode.
Next race: Tour de Normandie We've been given an exclusive interview with Sports Director Ollie before the Tour de Normandie starts, so if you have any questions, leave a comment!
«The season hasn’t gone the way we wanted so far,» he explains. «Personally I think my boys have done a good job so far during the races. They’ve been sitting in breakaways, they’ve often been riding hard at the front of the peloton and that way they’ve shown our colors. But at the end of the day we haven’t been able to finish high enough in the standings and that’s what counts.»
«Have you heard anything from the management of Le Coq Sportif? Is that where the pressure comes from?»
Ollie thinks about it for a while as he sips on his coffee. He seems more worried now than the last time we spoke and if he doesn’t want to admit feeling the pressure in so many words, his expression tells a tale.
«I haven’t heard anything from them, no,» he finally says. «But I know what they expect and so far we haven’t delivered.»
«You have a very young team of riders and I think we’ve all seen that at this point they just can’t stay with the better and older riders. Do you feel Le Coq Sportif’s expectations are unrealistic or too high?»
«It’s important to understand that they’ve invested a lot of money in this project and they expect a return for their investment. I have no problem with that and I don’t feel like the expetations are too high. But in evaluating our season it’s important to take into account both the riders’ age and how far they’ve come in their development. As long as they show progress and improve, both in training and in races, I think we can still be satisfied with the season.»
«Tour de Normadie starts today, a more low-profile race with a weaker peloton. What are your expectations for this stage race?»
«It is a weaker peloton, you could say, but that doesn’t make it an easy stage race. I hope we can place a rider in the top 10. That is our goal and that’s what I’m hoping we can achieve. Anything better than that is a bonus.»
«Who are you riding for in this race? You’ve decided to bring both Pierrick Chevillard and Mickaël Cohen along with both you sprinters.»
«First of all, most stages in this race are hilly and will most likely feature a mass sprint towards the end. If Lucien (Chateau) can do a good time trial today and not lose to much time, he might be the one we ride for. But he’s struggled on the longer stages to keep up with the pace of the peloton and that’s why we’ve decided to bring both Pierrick and Mickaël as they’ve looked good so far. Pierrick (Chevillard) looks to be in great shape and hopefully he can deliver a great time trial to put himself in a good position for the rest of the week.»
«Some will miss Fouillet who was rumoured to start but is not on the start list today.»
«I felt like it was time to rest him. Simple as that. He’s given everything he’s got in every race so far and it has taken it’s toll on him. We want him in top shape for some races this fall and so we want to give him some time off to train and rest.»
March 30th, 2014 Tour de Normandie
Lack of sprinter proves disastrous for Le Coq Sportif
With 6 stages, following the individual time trial, without too much of a challenge in terms of hills and mountains, this was the stage race where Le Coq Sportif would find out if they had a decent sprinter, and a decent sprint train, in their team. The short answer? No.
They did get a decent start at the individual time trial. Only 4.8 kms long they had no problem getting Pierrick Chevillard (+ 18''), Mickaël Cohen (+ 22''), Adrien Poissont (+ 25'') and Wladimir Froment (+ 26'') within half a minute of the winner.
[img-l]https://farm1.staticflickr.com/402/19558077196_60d459eee1_m.jpg[/img-l]The rainy stage 2 would be Lhermitte and Chateau's first real chance, in form, to show off their sprinting skills, but it wasn't to be. A breakaway with 5 riders got away and Chateau tried to follow, but the breakaway was established and the peloton caught Chateau. How the breakaway actually managed to establish themselves is hard to understand as the pack held a very high pace right from the beginning, so high in fact that 5 riders fell behind and dropped several minutes on the peloton. With 100 kms to go the breakaway was still 3'00'' in front and the peloton increased their speed again.[img-l]https://farm1.staticflickr.com/411/19396274908_977780c084_m.jpg[/img-l]
With 40 kms to go, only Chateau, Cohen and Chevillard was able to keep up with the front, but with 12 kms to go, only Chevillard remained, isolated and leaving a gap to the leading group. The mass sprint featured no boys in blue and Chevillard rolled in as number 122, 4'38'' behind the winner. The hope of a good positioning in Tour de Normandie was already ruined.
The Le Coq Sportif train gathered (left side of the road) before the peloton seriously increased their speed
Chevillard isolated at the back as two riders overtake on either side
[img-r]https://farm1.staticflickr.com/288/19396273638_3dd8ffa200_m.jpg[/img-r]On the 82.5 kms short Stage 3 without anyone to really ride for anymore, Lhermitte launched the first attack of the day and proved that, at least on fresh legs, he can get away from the bunch. He was joined by G. Vecchio (MG.Kvis - Trevigiani) and together they were able to create a gap of 2 minutes at the most. With only 25 kms to go, the peloton started to increase their speed to reel in the duo in front, and Vecchio tried a last desperate attempt at a stage win. He left Lhermitte behind, who was soon swallowed up by the peloton. Over the last hill, Le Coq Sportif was scattered and broken up and only Baudot at the front came in with the mass sprint that Benjamin Giraud (Team La Pomme Marseille) won.
Winner Benjamin Giraud crosses the finish line
Both Poisson and Lhermitte tried to get away with the breakaway on Stage 4 but neither made it. Instead the 6 man strong breakaway got as much as 6 minutes before the pack started gaining ground.
The Le Coq Sportif riders were organized (on the left in the picture) through most of the day, and with 2 kms to go, Castan, Poisson and Chevillard formed some kind of sprint train. But as we've seen time and time and again, the strength and energy runs out too quickly at a high pace, and Chevillard rolled in as number 61. Benjamin Giraud made it two for two when he beat the pack for the 2nd day in a row.
Lhermitte, Le Coq Sportif's new attacker at the front, again got away from the[img-r]https://farm1.staticflickr.com/521/19396272168_b10ffd0351_m.jpg[/img-r] peloton on Stage 5 after a breakaway of 5 riders had established themselves. Lhermitte gained constantly on the breakaway and increased the gap to the peloton and with 60 kms to go, the gap to the peloton was 2'00'' while he had shrunk the gap to the breakaway group from 2'30'' to only 53 seconds.[img-r]https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3778/18963333273_7888a1be5f_m.jpg[/img-r]
With 55 kms to go, the peloton started to pick up the pace and the gap to Lhermitte started to disappear. Lhermitte increased his speed as well to try and maintain it, but with 42.5 kms to go, he was caught.
With 20 kms to go, the breakaway still had about a minute, but the peloton was fast approaching and finally Le Coq Sportif showed us a real sprint train with Chateau on the tail.
The peloton rides hard to catch the breakaway
The other trains increased the speed and most of the pack fell away. The breakaway was finally caught as the best sprinters flew by led by their teammates. Le Coq Sportif tried to give Chateau a decent shot, but they ran out of strength and Chateau had to manage on his own the last 2 kms. That was too long and Chateau fell through the pack and didn't stand a chance.
The same thing happened on Stage 6 and 7. Le Coq Sportif delivered a decent train for a short while, but Chateau was left with too much to do on his own and fell through the pack. On both of the final stages he finished well outside the top 50, far behind their goals, ambitions and dreams.
Thoughts on our young heroes
Ollie said before the season that we shouldn't expect too much from these young riders this season. It's a big step up from local, amateur teams to the Continental division and, as they've shown us so far, they need to develop quite a bit before the results will come. On top of that, they need to get older and develop more of a physical base before they can sit with the best through 200 grueling kilometers at a high pace.
They need to be patient. The big question is, can their sponsor stay patient through these difficult times? They probably had higher expectations then the return they've gotten so far, and it's easy to question Ollie's decisions so far; did he find the right riders? Did he find the right coaches? Are they doing things right in training, races and so on?
Patience is a virtue. It's difficult to stay patient when you feel nothing is going your way. For a young rider it can be frustrating. For a Sports Director it can be worrying and at times infuriating. Add in the pressure from a sponsor who's invested their money in your project and you have a recipe for implosion. There's really only one thing they can do; put their head down and work harder. The results will come with patience and hard work. The question is whether the sponsor share that patience.
With pictures the report is excellent .
Good luck in Vitre! Hope fro some nice results .
#FREELANDA #FREELIA MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
emre99's stages Thread of the Week : Tour of California 2014 -Official PCM World Cup 2016, 10th best keirin player in the world PCM.daily Awards : 2 Nominee 0 Award
Daily Song Contest WINNER! With Foals - Mountain at my Gates with Greece! 1 like 1 girlfriend ''I call you the stage god. You are the stage god.'' -baseballover312, 15.07.2016
Several attacks occurred in the first 50 kms, but every time the peloton increased their speed and caught them. In the rainy and slippery conditions they weren't interested in letting anyone get away, but after 80 kms of hectic and chaotic riding, several crashes and a few riders getting of their bikes and into cars, including Le Coq Sportif's Froment, a breakaway finally got away.
The peloton slowed things down as the conditions had gone from slippery to down right dangerous but it still didn't prevent another two crashes from happening. And now the peloton was in hurry. The scattered Le Coq Sportif team was starting to gather. They had been sitting calm in the peloton and saving energy but were now maneuvering themselves up towards the front with Castan, Chevillard and Poisson the only ones able to keep up. The gap to the breakaway dwindled and was down to three minutes with 30 kms to go and the rain finally stopped.
12 kms to go and Chevillard had to throw in the towel just as the rain started to pick up again. Poisson smartly positioned himself in the middle of the AG2R train and let them do the job. However, the four teams at the front, all with several riders, slowed down and the two guys in front were allowed to settle the race between them.
Poisson positioned right behind the front AG2R rider
Ripley wrote:
Congratulations! The first Superprestige points, I gather?
Stupid question (then again, you are the master at answering my stupid questions )... Where do I see the Superprestige points? I went to Results --> Standings and clicked on "Team". There I found my team both under "Continental" (where we currently have 12 points) and under CQ Ranking (where we have 7). What's the difference between the rankings?
I'll definitely follow your story, the reports are great, even though there is little positive to report about the team (yet). As for the ranking points - check the rules submenu. That includes a scales tab which tells you how many continental and how many superprestige points are available. The way I read the rules promotion is only based on superprestige points, which would make the continental points (and rankings) basically useless - well, the leader in the individual continental ranking gets to wear a special jersey.
CQ rankings? Mine read Cya World Tour - Continental - Superprestige - Victories.
Edited by Ripley on 11-07-2015 08:52
@Ripley: and the language is set to English? Under Results --> Standings --> Team it goes UCI World Tour - Continental CQ Ranking - Victories. And it's the same for Individual.. Anyway, so it's the CQ points I need to worry about? Not that we're aiming for promotion any time soon
April 11th, 2014 Circuit des Ardennes International
"Le Coq Sportif gets off on the right foot"
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The first stage of Circuit des Ardennes International took place today. The 161.7 kms from Juniville to Tagnon featured three intermediate sprints and three Category 3 climbs and it was expected that the stage would finish in a mass sprint.
A trio of riders got away from the peloton early and built up a 7 minute lead. Flavien Dassonville ((BigMat - Auber 93), Igor Merino (Burgos BH - Castilla y León) and Pierrick Lhermitte (Le Coq Sportif) would fight for the points along the stage, the young rider from Le Coq Sportif winning the first intermediate stage and reaching a new milestone for the team; for the first time a Le Coq Sportif rider was leading a points competition.
Pierrick Lhermitte wins the first intermediate sprint
Merino and Dassonville would fight for the remaining points and surpass Lhermitte, who didn't seem to have the legs to both sit in the breakaway and fight for points. Especially since they had to increase their work rate in an attempt to keep the peloton away. But with 20 kms to go, the trio patted each other on the back for a job well done as the peloton caught up to them.
(Sorry about the names... I was so focused on the sprint I forgot to take decent pictures )
Still, the stage must be seen as a positive. Considering how difficult the 2014 season has been so far for Le Coq Sportif, it was really good to see a rider in blue in a breakaway all day fighting for points, and a proper sprint train that matched the best in terms of speed. They just need to work on their timing.
Next stage: Givet - HaybesEdited by Ollie23 on 11-07-2015 11:20
April 12th, 2014 Circuit des Ardennes International - Stage 2
"Amazing (G)race"
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Description: A tough 160.7 kms long stage 2 from Givet to Haybes awaits the riders today with two Category 2 climbs and no less than 4 Category 1 climbs before a steep downhill takes the riders to the finish line. A stage for the climbers for sure and we could see a lot of attacks on the yellow jersey.
"We're off," says Ollie as he puts his car into gear and we start moving.
We've been allowed an exclusive look at a day in the life of the Le Coq Sportif team, riding in the backseat of Sports Director Ollie's sponsor decal covered Peugeot 308. The mood of the car is relaxed but focused. After yesterday's stage, Le Coq Sportif has captain Pierrick Chevillard in the race for the overall jersey and a stage featuring two Category 2 climbs and no less than 4 Category 1 climbs should fit the captain well. If he has the legs. Ollie gives a few final encouraging words over the radio to his riders. We notice his french has gotten a lot better.
Almost as soon as we've gotten the car in behind the riders, we hear over the race radio that a few riders have attempted a breakaway. The peloton seems to pick up the pace and we drive along side a few Le Coq Sportif riders who've positioned themselves at the back. Pierrick Lhermitte, Wladimir Froment and Lucien Chateau has but one objective today; finish the race.
Before we start climbing the first Category 1 of the day, the peloton has caught the breakaway. Ollie's on the radio talking to Adrien Poisson, who's positioned himself at the front.
"If you have the legs, go for it," is the simple message. We wait a few nervous minutes before the race radio announces that 1 rider has gotten away and has a lead of over a minute at the top of the hill. That rider is Adrien Poisson.
"Yes!" Ollie screams as he grabs his assistant's hand. Phillippe is more quiet and reserved, but cracks a smile. It's hard not to when you're sat right next to an emotional man who's highly entertaining to watch.
"Well done. The peloton seems happy to let you go, so don't use any extra energy. Stay calm and save your legs. You're still getting away." Ollie's voice is now calm and his message is clear. We make our way past the peloton as soon as the race director tells us it's ok and soon we're behind Adrien who looks great. He gives us a thumbs up to tell us he feels as good as he looks.
Adrien's gap increases to almost five minutes before we hear that another rider has attacked from the peloton. Phillippe checks the live update on his iPad and informs us it's Alexander Foliforov from Itera - Katusha. They discuss the rider and their plan for Adrien and informs the rider as he gets new water bottles. The plan is to take it easy and save some energy. If Foliforov catches him, they can help each other and Adrien will have fresher legs. Ollie checks in with the rest of his guys. Only Mourot and Chevillard are sitting with the peloton. They report that the pace of the peloton is fairly slow at the moment. The rest of Ollie's riders have dropped off, but that's ok. They only need to finish and hopefully save their legs a bit.
But even at the slower pace, Adrien rolls over the next two Category 2 climbs alone, giving him 36 points on the day and the polka-dot jersey, before Foliforov finally catches up. Together they start relaying. A steep downhill is followed by the 2nd Category 1 climb.
Adrien Poisson makes the Category 1 climb look easy in front of a tired Foliforov
Adrien has fresh legs while Foliforov struggles to keep up. Adrien cashes in another 16 points at the top. 52 points, but Ollie is focused on the live updates where the peloton has started chasing. He tells Adrien to stay calm, keep relaying at the same speed and they should be alone up the next climb as well, the 2nd to last and a chance for another 16 points at the top. Ollie's prediction rings true and again Adrien is first over the top.
"That's brilliant, Adrien. The peloton is catching up, but we have the jersey by a solid margin!"
The peloton cuts down the gap and neither rider at the front has the legs to make any final attempts at getting away. Just as the final climb starts, the two riders capitulate and Ollie immediately changes his focus. He still has Chevillard and Mourot at the front of the pack. Halfway up the climb, it's announced over the race radio that David Navarro of Cofidis has launched an attack and is riding solo over the top.
David Navarro attacks with Mourot and Chevillard right behind (on the right)
Ollie seems a bit bothered but it's hard to be disappointed today. He tells his riders to give whatever they got left to narrow the gap. Sadly it's too little too late as David Navarro crosses the finish line on the other side alone with Chevillard and Mourot finishing 10th and 12th, 54 seconds behind.
David Navarro crosses the finish line alone
As soon as we're out of the route and behind the finish line, Ollie jumps out of the car. We follow and watch a delighted Sports Director find Adrien Poisson and give him a big hug. The team celebrates like they've won the Tour de France and the people around them can't help but crack a smile. For the first time in team history, a Le Coq Sportif rider will wear a jersey on a stage. If you're wondering how much this means for this troubled team and a Sports Director under constant pressure, a glance at their celebrations at the finish line should drive the point home. It's like the gods of cycling decided to bestow their grace on this struggling group of riders and grant them one perfect day to make up for all the hard work and disappointment that has been following this team like a plague all season long. We, who've followed this team since before they were even a team, can't help but feel moved by the whole scene.
April 13th, 2014 Circuit des Ardennes International - Stage 3
"Time Trial"
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A 21.6 km time trial where Cofidis wanted to strengthen Navarro's hold of the yellow jersey, and Le Coq Sportif were happy with parading the first jersey they've ever held as a team. Cofidis did their job, winning the time trial, while Le Coq Sportif looked to save their legs before the tough final mountain stage and came in 1'53'' behind.
Tomorrow they'll try to protect Poisson's jersey. Poisson is 20 points ahead of Foliforov, but with the amount of points there for the taking on the final stage, as many as 7 riders could potentially steal the jersey away from the young frenchman.
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April 14th, 2014 Circuit des Ardennes International - Stage 4
"No real excitement when Poisson defends his jersey"
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Today was all about protecting the polka-dot jersey for Le Coq Sportif with Poisson riding at the front of the peloton ready to pounce on any breakaway featuring a competitor for the jersey. A breakaway did get away, with 8 riders nonetheless, but none of them were a threat for Poisson’s jersey and he stayed calm in the peloton. After the first Category 2 climb, only 1 rider was still a threat for Poisson, Foliforov who was only 20 pts behind at the start of the race, but since he was not in the breakaway, he was not a threat.
The breakaway was 4 minutes ahead of the peloton with 65 kms to go, and only 32 points left to fight for. Everything was going Poisson’s way. The peloton started picking up the pace, wanting to reel in the group at the front, which also meant they could put Foliforov in a position to steal some points towards the end. Team Stölting was at the front chasing with Poisson in a great position right behind them as the breakaway eliminated Foliforov’s chances at points over the last Category 3 climb of the day. That left only 16 points left to fight for which meant the polka-dot jersey was won for Poisson and Le Coq Sportif!
As far as Le Coq Sportif was concerned, the race could’ve just ended there, but they did put up somewhat of a fight towards the end. Mourot tried to put Chevillard in a good position up the final climb but David Navarro was the only on from the peloton who got away and were able to catch the breakaway. But even Navarro couldn’t keep up with Yssaad when he attacked just a couple of kms before the finish line.
For the first time in team history, Le Coq Sportif are the winners of a jersey! In addition, both Marius Mourot and Pierrick Chevillard finished in the top 10 among young riders.
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)... Where do I see the Superprestige points? I went to Results --> Standings and clicked on "Team". There I found my team both under "Continental" (where we currently have 12 points) and under CQ Ranking (where we have 7). What's the difference between the rankings?
Circuit des Ardennes International
