Not a great day for “La Conti”

# Tough Times for “La Conti” at Tour de la Mirabelle

In the East of France, the “La Conti” Groupama-FDJ team faced a challenging day at the 23rd edition of the Tour de la Mirabelle on Friday. After a grueling 180 kilometers under difficult weather conditions, Baptiste Grégoire managed to secure a respectable sixteenth place in Nomeny.

This year’s Tour de la Mirabelle featured a new format, transitioning to a single-day race. The course included eight classified climbs, notably the Col de Moivrons (1.6 km at 5.4%) and the Côte de Belleau (1.5 km at 9.4%), each to be tackled three times in the finishing circuit. Jérôme Gannat, a member of the team, remarked on the tough conditions, stating, “It was already a difficult race because of the weather conditions. We knew the weather would be bad, but we didn’t imagine it would be this bad. It was around eleven degrees and rained very often. Right after the summer, the change was brutal.”

The race began positively for the French development squad, with two riders, Titouan and Eliott, breaking away early on. Jérôme noted, “It was very good, especially since all the main teams were represented. We really thought it would go far, but they eventually took only thirty seconds.” Unfortunately, a flurry of counterattacks led to a convergence on the first classified climb after thirty kilometers, setting the stage for the day’s challenges.

From that point on, “La Conti” struggled to maintain momentum. A group of five, including three from the St-Michel-Preference Home-Auber 93 team, broke away, and the pace intensified. “Reef and Blake were struggling, while Eliott and Titouan couldn’t make another effort, and so we missed the move,” Jérôme explained. This allowed stronger teams to establish a lead, complicating the race dynamics for “La Conti.”

The situation worsened as the race progressed, with Blake and Reef dropping off on the climbs in the finishing circuit. “There was a succession of counterattacks, and it was hard to make the right move,” concluded Jérôme. As the final lap began, a group of about ten riders formed up front. Samuele Zoccarato ultimately broke free to win the race solo, while Baptiste Grégoire managed to fight for tenth place, finishing sixteenth.

“It was probably possible to do a little better today, but not to challenge for victory,” reflected Jérôme on the team’s performance. Despite the difficulties, “La Conti” remains determined to improve as the season progresses.