A trio on the attack, Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet scores a top 5
# Martin-Guyonnet Shines in Basque Country with Strong Performance
In a déjà vu moment for the Groupama-FDJ United cycling team, the fourth stage of the Tour of the Basque Country saw the squad returning to their aggressive tactics. This stage, covering 167 kilometers around Galdakao, showcased their capacity for breakaways, with three riders—Quentin Pacher, Clément Braz Afonso, and Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet—putting themselves in contention. Ultimately, it was Martin-Guyonnet who delivered the team’s best result, finishing a commendable fifth.
The racing dynamics were notably familiar, unfolding similarly to the previous day. After more than an hour of racing and a vigorous fight, a group of thirty-three riders finally broke away. Benoît Vaugrenard remarked, “Since stage two, we’ve known there are good opportunities for stage wins. Today, it took seventy kilometers before the break went. It was a big fight and it never really settled down.” Among the breakaway group were Martin-Guyonnet and his teammates, who capitalized on the situation. Clément Braz Afonso, positioned just over four minutes behind overall leader Paul Seixas, added, “Yesterday we already had two riders in the break. Today, it was great to have three. It gave us tactical options and allowed us to take advantage of our strong collective.”
As the race progressed, the gap to the peloton hovered around three minutes. However, the intensity picked up as they approached the climbs, particularly on the first ascent toward Elorritxueta. “Quentin made a strong effort on the penultimate climb,” Martin-Guyonnet explained. “That helped split things up and hold off the peloton a bit longer.” By the summit, only a handful of riders remained in front, with the trio supporting each other through the challenging terrain.
As they neared the finish, Martin-Guyonnet fought hard to keep up with the leaders on the last climb, finding himself in a promising group of four. Benoît Vaugrenard noted, “He found himself in a group of four about fifteen seconds behind, and they almost made it back with one kilometer to go, so we really believed in it.” Unfortunately, despite his best efforts in the final uphill stretch, Martin-Guyonnet couldn’t quite bridge the gap and finished thirteen seconds behind local stage winner Alex Aranburu.
“It’s still a very good fifth place,” Vaugrenard commented. Martin-Guyonnet added, “I did my best at the end. I wasn’t far from the win, but I have no regrets. There were stronger riders than me today, but I’m happy things are moving in the right direction.” With two top-10 finishes in consecutive days, he has risen to 16th place overall, signaling a positive shift in his form. “He’s improving every day,” Vaugrenard confirmed. “It’s good for his confidence.”
Looking ahead to the next stages, Benoît noted, “I think the breakaway has less chance of succeeding given how hard it will be. There may be more opportunities on Sunday.” For Martin-Guyonnet, each day represents a step closer to his peak performance.
