Eliott Boulet and Enzo Paleni in the top-10

# Young Stars Shine in Time Trial at Tour Poitou-Charentes

In a thrilling display of talent and determination, Eliott Boulet and Enzo Paleni from Groupama-FDJ made headlines during stage 3 of the Tour Poitou-Charentes en Nouvelle Aquitaine. The stage featured a challenging 27-kilometer time trial that proved crucial for the overall standings, with both riders breaking into the top 10. Boulet finished in 9th place, while Paleni secured 10th, marking their positions in the competition as they head into the final stretch.

The time trial was anticipated to reshuffle the general classification. It presented two significant climbs that favored riders with a strong time-trialing background. “There mostly were nice, fast sections where you needed to stay in position and put in the power,” noted Anthony Bouillod, coach of Groupama-FDJ. The cyclists faced a mix of tailwinds and headwinds as they navigated the course, with gusts reaching up to 40 km/h, which may have influenced the outcomes.

Initially leading the charge, Clément Davy and Eddy Le Huitouze set competitive times of 34’14 and 34’21 respectively, holding top positions for a notable period. However, as the clock ticked past 3 p.m., the leaderboard saw dramatic shifts, particularly with Samuel Leroux clocking in the fastest time of 33’03 at the finish line.

Both Boulet and Paleni made their mark early on, entering the top 10 at the first intermediate checkpoint, just twenty seconds off the lead. Ultimately, their finishing times were 45 and 51 seconds behind Leroux, respectively. “The ambition was to have one or more riders in the top 10, and if possible, one in the top 5,” Bouillod summarized. Though he expressed hopes for an even higher finish from Paleni, the overall outcome for the team was still positive.

Highlighting Boulet’s impressive performance, Bouillod remarked, “We should highlight Eliott’s very good performance… he has made it into the top 10 even though he was still a Junior last year.” At just 18 years old, Boulet has already claimed a stage win in this year’s Tour de Bretagne and now sits in 9th place overall, closely followed by Paleni.

Looking ahead to the race’s conclusion in Poitiers, Bouillod stated, “The number 1 goal will be to aim for the stage, and the secondary objective will be to secure our positions in the general classification.” The finish line awaits, with the final stretch featuring 800 meters at an average slope of 5%, challenging the riders one last time.