A solid start for “La Conti” in Slovakia
# La Conti Shines on the Tour of Slovakia
The Groupama-FDJ “La Conti” team has made a noteworthy impression in the early stages of the Tour of Slovakia, showcasing their competitive spirit through breakaways and solid results. After three stages and multiple sprints, the French squad has secured four top-10 finishes, culminating in a podium performance by Matt Walls this Friday. With another sprint and a challenging summit finish set for the weekend, the team is poised for continued success.
The adventure began in Bardejov, northern Slovakia, as “La Conti” faced off in stage 1 on Wednesday. Covering a distance of approximately 141 kilometers, the stage concluded with a grueling two-kilometer climb averaging 7%, situated just 25 kilometers before the finish. Team director Jérôme Gannat stated, “Our goal was to have a rider in front, and Oscar fulfilled this mission well.” The planned breakaway, however, turned out to be smaller than expected, with only four riders escaping. Soudal-Quick Step maintained tight control of the race, limiting the leaders’ advantage to two and a half minutes. Oscar Nilsson-Julien made a strong effort, breaking away with one companion before being caught by the peloton 15 kilometers from the finish. “There was a lot of action in the final, but every time, we saw one of our riders following the attacks, especially Baptiste, Rémi, or Eliott,” Gannat remarked, highlighting the team’s resilience despite Paul Magnier ultimately claiming the victory.
According to Matt Walls, “We’re improving day by day.” This sentiment was echoed during a more technical final on Thursday, where Walls finished fourth, narrowly missing out on a podium position. The stage, spanning 170 kilometers from Svidník to Košice, included challenging climbs, with Gannat pleased at the team’s proactive presence despite a minor crash that disrupted their strategy.
As the race intensified on Friday, the terrain posed greater challenges with the 191-kilometer stage to Banská Bystrica featuring nearly 3,000 meters of elevation gain. Gannat noted, “Since the stage featured several difficulties, we thought Visma-Lease a Bike would make a move,” and although attacks were made, “the peloton immediately took control.” Matt Walls managed to capture a podium spot in a hectic sprint, finishing behind Magnier and Lukas Kubis. He praised his teammates for their support: “Oscar and Blake did a great job in a very chaotic final to put me into a good position coming into the final 500 meters.”
With Eliott Boulet also securing a strong sixth place on Friday, “La Conti” is gearing up for what promises to be an exciting conclusion to the Tour of Slovakia, with the flattest stage set for tomorrow followed by a decisive summit finish on Sunday.
