“La Conti” misses its chance in Croatia
# Groupama-FDJ’s “La Conti” Faces Challenges at Istrian Spring Tour
The Groupama-FDJ United development team, affectionately known as “La Conti,” entered the Istrian Spring Tour with high hopes from Thursday to Sunday, but ultimately returned without any accolades. Despite their aspirations, the team struggled to meet their goals across the four turbulent days of racing in Croatia. Their young rider Soan Ruesche concluded the event placed 22nd in the general classification.
After a three-year hiatus, “La Conti” made its return to the Istrian Spring Tour in 2026. The race kicked off on Thursday with an atypical prologue of just 1,200 meters. “It required sprinter’s qualities, or even a time trialist’s profile, and that may actually have been our main issue throughout the week,” explained team director Jérôme Gannat. “We mostly had climber-puncheurs at the start, so it was difficult to aim for a big result in this prologue. We were more or less where we expected to be.” Baptiste Grégoire clocked the best time for the team, finishing 26th, five seconds behind the winner.
The second day brought a more traditional stage spanning 150 kilometers over a slightly undulating route. Acknowledging their lack of speed in a bunch sprint, Gannat stated, “We wanted to animate the race.” At km 46, Rémi Daumas made a move alongside seven other riders, although the organized peloton quickly reeled them back. “The last climb with fifteen kilometers to go was very fast (2 km at 5%). There were no gaps,” he continued, revealing the difficulty of the stage. Ultimately, Grégoire contested the final sprint but secured only a 25th place finish.
“We didn’t come here for this,” Gannat lamented.
Saturday’s stage brought considerable elevation gain, with nearly 2,500 meters on the route. Gannat shared, “With the team we had, we wanted to use that climb to make the race harder.” Although Daumas attempted to create a selection on the challenging climb, he was counter-attacked by six other riders and could not regain the lead. The breakaway group swiftly surged ahead, leaving “La Conti” to manage their own race.
“Catching up was tough, but we got within thirty seconds at the foot of the final climb,” Gannat recounted, underscoring the determined efforts of his team.
Despite a commendable push by Rémi Daumas in the last stretch, his efforts fell short, and he finished 26th, alongside Ruesche at 24th, trailing 44 seconds behind the winner. Gannat analyzed the performance, stating, “Physically, that clearly wasn’t his place… He probably made a small tactical mistake.”
As Sunday approached, the final stage saw “La Conti” eager to conclude their tour with a strong performance. However, the fast-paced event and a non-challenging finish led to another sprint outcome. “We didn’t want to take risks for a minor placing,” Gannat noted.
Reflecting on the team’s performance, Gannat concluded, “Given our line-up, we knew our whole race would be decided on Saturday. Those missing 300 meters for Rémi ultimately determined everything else, and we left empty-handed. Obviously, we didn’t come here for that.” Despite their setbacks, Gannat acknowledged the experience gained and emphasized the potential for growth. “This race remains a good experience from which we were able to draw real conclusions.”
