Valentin Madouas Shows Strength with Fourth Place Finish at Grand Prix de Montréal

Valentin Madouas showcased his resilience and determination at the Grand Prix de Montréal, coming in fourth place and just missing out on a podium finish. The French champion, who recently won the Bretagne Classic, remained in contention throughout the race and scored his fourth top-5 finish in a one-day WorldTour race this season.

The demanding circuit in Montréal, which included the challenging Camillien-Houde climb, favored Madouas’ strengths and allowed him to showcase his form. Despite tough weather conditions and a significant elevation gain, Madouas and his team remained focused and determined.

“We knew that the rain was going to last an hour or so, so we needed to be very focused at the start in case a big breakaway went,” explained team director Sébastien Joly. “In the end, only Florian Vermeersch got away. The race was starting to be too calm in the back, so we talked a bit with Valentin, and we thought to revitalize it.”

Madouas and his teammates worked together to close the gap and make the race more challenging. As the peloton reduced in size, Madouas found himself in the leading group with just a few laps to go. In the final climb of Camillien-Houde, he couldn’t keep up with the first two riders but proved to be one of the strongest in the chasing group.

“I missed a little something when Yates and Sivakov attacked in the climb,” admitted Madouas. “I stayed with the group, and then I tried to make my effort on the next hill. Unfortunately, we only came back at 3-4 seconds, then it became very tactical.”

Despite the tactical nature of the race, Madouas showed his determination and managed to catch the first chasing group in the last two kilometers. In the sprint for third place, he narrowly missed out on the podium.

“It was a very hard and very tiring race,” said Madouas. “We really felt all the meters of climbing in the last three laps. The weather also made the race harder, but we wanted a hard race. I missed a little something, and I’m disappointed not to finish on the podium, but we’ll be back.”

Madouas’ fourth-place finish at the Grand Prix de Montréal further solidifies his status as a top contender in one-day WorldTour races. Team director Sébastien Joly praised Madouas for his performance, stating, “He managed to fight with the best and finished well with 4th place. We’re a bit disappointed because it would have been great to finish on the podium in such a race, but after his victory in Plouay, he showed that he had recovered and that he’s on track for the end of the season. He was really in the mix and showed once again how solid he is.”