“La Conti” in the mix, Reef Roberts grabs fifth

# “La Conti” Shines at Pérenchies: Reef Roberts Secures a Stellar Fifth Place

In a triumphant return to the Grand Prix de la Ville de Pérenchies, “La Conti” exhibited a formidable team performance this Sunday, following a month-long hiatus from competition. The squad, under coach Jérôme Gannat, once again demonstrated their prowess on challenging cobblestones, culminating in Reef Roberts finishing in fifth place after an impressive lead throughout much of the race. Teammates Matt Walls and Eliott Boulet also showed strong performances, securing eighth and twelfth places, respectively.

This year marked “La Conti” Groupama-FDJ’s welcome return to the Grand Prix de la ville de Pérenchies, after sitting out last year. The race featured a route similar to previous editions, consisting of a twelve-kilometre circuit that needed to be tackled six times, followed by a fifteen-kilometre circuit highlighted by a rough cobbled section spanning 1000 metres, addressed seven times. “There were a lot of attacks at the start, and the first hour was raced at an average speed of over 50 km/h,” Gannat observed.

Titouan Fontaine made an early effort by joining a three-man breakaway, while Oscar Nilsson-Julien attempted his own move. However, it was on the last lap of the initial circuit that a decisive group of eleven, including Roberts, finally broke away, establishing a one-minute lead as they approached the second circuit. “Not much happened on the first lap,” Gannat recalled. “However, it exploded on the second one, and a group of thirty riders or so formed behind the breakaway. We were in a good situation at that point because we had four men in the peloton.”

Unfortunately, the team’s dynamics shifted when “La Conti” faced setbacks, losing Blake Agnoletto and Titouan Fontaine to punctures. As the chasing group dwindled, Roberts surged ahead on the cobbled sector with four other breakaway riders. “They were eventually caught, but only by eight riders, including Matt and Eliott,” recounted Gannat.

As they neared the final lap, “La Conti” found itself with three riders in a leading group of thirteen—a promising position. The race heated up, and just six kilometres from the finish line, Roberts joined four others to break away in a final push for victory. However, the tactical complexities of the race complicated matters. “Five teams were represented with at least two riders, everyone had someone in front, and nobody wanted to pull,” Gannat explained. “Matt was perhaps also a bit tired towards the end.”

Ultimately, the race concluded with cyclo-cross specialist Toon Vandebosch emerging victorious. Reef Roberts, despite having shown skill and determination, settled for a fifth-place finish. Gannat reflected positively on the day’s performance, stating, “It’s a very good performance from Reef. It’s his first result in a road race with the team, after his tenth place in the time trial at the Giro NextGen. It’s the first time that he’s been in the running for the win…at only 19 years old. That’s the positive from today.”

While the team celebrated Roberts’ impressive result, there was a sense of what could have been, with Gannat noting, “We probably deserved better given the team’s performance during the day, as we were one of the teams that had the most impact on the race.” As they look ahead, “La Conti” remains a force to be reckoned with in the cycling world.