A day to forget in the Tour de l’Ain

### Title: A Challenging Day for Groupama-FDJ at Tour de l’Ain

After an exhilarating opening stage at the Tour de l’Ain, which saw Tom Donnenwirth achieve his first professional win and the team secure a one-two finish, the Groupama-FDJ cycling team faced a stark contrast on Thursday during Stage 2. The day was defined by setbacks, as the yellow jersey experienced a crash early on, and David Gaudu struggled badly, leaving the team with diminished ambitions for the overall classification.

The second stage posed a serious challenge with 3,400 metres of elevation gain. Featuring the Côte de Giron (8km at 6%) and the Col de Menthières (9km at 6.3%) within the last sixty kilometres, it was designed to showcase the top climbers. Starting the day in yellow, Donnenwirth had hoped to maintain his position, but misfortune struck about twenty kilometres in when he crashed. “The main consequences were a large bruise on the buttock and a fairly significant wound on the palm of his hand, which made it difficult for him to hold on to his handlebars,” explained team director Yvon Caër. Despite returning to the pack, Donnenwirth struggled to keep pace as the intensity increased on the Giron climb.

David Gaudu, in a similar predicament, also fell back as the competition intensified. “We quickly realized that David wasn’t feeling well,” confided Yvon. “As soon as it got hard, he was in trouble.” Although Gaudu attempted to recover, he ultimately succumbed to the challenges posed by the steep climbs, leading to a pivotal loss for the team.

With the peloton diminished significantly, riders Lorenzo Germani, Clément Braz Afonso, and Brieuc Rolland managed to navigate the penultimate climb. “We decided to go with Brieuc,” Yvon remarked, noting Rolland’s performance. However, even he was unable to overcome the physical toll of the race, succumbing to cramps before the finish.

In the end, Lorenzo Germani was the highest finisher for the team, crossing the line in 23rd position, over four minutes behind the victor. “Yesterday all lights were green, today they’re all red,” Yvon concluded. “That’s the law of high-level sport. It’s a day to forget, but we mustn’t give up. We have to hope that we can regain our strength tomorrow to be able to compete for the stage victory.”

Looking ahead, the team will face the Grand Colombier with resolve, hoping to regain some momentum and salvage their ambitions before the final stage. Unfortunately, the team also faced another blow, as Rémy Rochas was forced to abandon the race due to respiratory issues.