The tricolor jersey changes shoulders, but no team. A year after the coronation of Rémi Cavagna, it was his teammate Florian Senechal who won on Sunday June 26 in Cholet. After breaking out of the peloton at the start of the last ten kilometers, the Northerner dominated Anthony Turgis, Axel Zingle, Warren Barguil and Benjamin Thomas in the sprint. He becomes champion of France for the first time in his career.
On a flat but tiring circuit, where you had to constantly restart in the streets of Cholet, while remaining vigilant not to fall, the riders fought a constant battle. Where we expected earlier a massive sprint at the finish, we finally witnessed an explanation between five men: Anthony Turgis, Axel Zingle, Warren Barguil, Benjamin Thomas and Florian Senechal. The fault of the last two cities, authors of a sharp double attack at the start of the final.
Led by his offensive Cofidis team, Benjamin Thomas took advantage of his tactical force to extricate himself from a nervous peloton, which was responding to the incessant attacks intended to flinch the Groupama-FDJ of favorite Arnaud Démare. While Thomas accelerated, his teammate Coquard, another favourite, took charge of the break, well helped by an Alaphilippe in good shape for his recovery, and he was also very happy to see the leading men fly away. And for good reason: his teammate Florian Senechal was one of them.
After a few kilometers in duo, the two breakaway companions were caught by the counter of Barguil, Turgis and Zingle under the red flame. It is therefore not by a mass sprint, but by an explanation in a reduced committee that the men’s road race of the French championships ended. Launched by Benjamin Thomas, Arthur Zingle was powerless against Florian Senechal, sharp, and Anthony Turgis who fails a few centimeters from the title.
“We exchange the shirt (with Rémi Cavagna, his teammate and title holder). I’m not going back there. When I put on the jersey, I will understand. It was a pretty hard year, now it’s finally turning, it’s nice for all the sacrifices I make”, savored the new French champion on arrival, “The race was tough. I saw that Arnaud Démare was not that strong on the climb. I told myself that I was not going to wait for the sprint.” Well he took it.