Marc Sarreau Wins Second Stage of Tour Poitou-Charentes
French cyclist Marc Sarreau has claimed his second victory in the Tour Poitou-Charentes after a strong performance in the second stage. Sarreau, riding for AG2R CITROËN, expressed his happiness with the team’s support during the stage.
“It was a fairly quiet day. We controlled the whole stage with the Trek-Segafredo team. On the last climb, a group of strong riders got away, and then the guys worked really hard to get in and put me in a good position right up to the last kilometer. All I had to do was finish,” said Sarreau.
Sarreau praised his teammates for their hard work, stating that their efforts gave him confidence and allowed him to showcase his potential in the final pack.
This victory marks Sarreau’s third win of the season, with previous successes in Cholet Pays de la Loire and the first two stages of the Tour Poitou-Charentes. It is also the 15th victory of his professional career and the 9th victory for the AG2R CITROËN team in 2022.
Looking ahead, Sarreau acknowledged that the overall classification would be challenging for him, particularly with the upcoming time trial. However, he remains optimistic and determined to pursue further success in the remaining two stages of the race.
In other cycling news, Jaakko Hänninen from AG2R CITROËN was in today’s breakaway during the fifth stage of La Vuelta a Espana before a crash derailed his chances of victory. Hänninen finished in the pack of favorites and hopes to recover well from the incident.
“I was in the good breakaway that contested the final victory. I don’t know exactly what happened when I crashed, a rider touched my rear wheel and I fell in a traffic circle. I finished with the peloton, and we’ll see in the coming days how I recover from this crash,” said Hänninen.
Team manager Julien Jurdie expressed disappointment at the turn of events, as Hänninen’s crash impacted the team’s strategy for the stage. Despite the setback, Jurdie highlighted Hänninen’s strong legs and potential for future success.
