Montpellier experienced a historic and festive weekend after its title of French rugby champion, won against Castres on Friday June 24 at the Stade de France in the final of the Top 14. Asvel is used to triumphing at the national level. Tony Parker’s club won a third consecutive national crown after their success against Monaco in a completely crazy match 5.
Also on the honor roll are Florian Senechal and Audrey Cordon-Ragot, title holders at the French cycling championships in men’s and women’s road races. On the other hand, for the first time this season, Fabio Quartararo did not finish a MotoGP Grand Prix. The reigning world champion crashed twice in Assen, the Netherlands.
Rugby: first Brennus for Montpellier
They hold it at last, this first Shield of Brennus. The Montpellier residents dominated Castres (29-10) in the Top 14 final, Friday June 24 at the Stade de France. The team coached by Philippe Saint-André perfectly knew how to enter their match to make the difference thanks to three tries in six minutes, between the 6th and 12th. Vincent, Verhaeghe and Bouthier flattened in the Castres goal to allow the MHR to take the lead. The Castres, led 23-3 at the break, never managed to come back. For the Héraultais, the third final will therefore have been the good one, after the setbacks in 2011 against Stade Toulouse, and in 2018 … against Castres.
The Héraultais started with a bang to offer themselves their first title of champion of France! #Top14 https://t.co/gtw9jAHNSg
— francetvsport (@francetvsport) June 24, 2022
Basketball: Asvel offers itself a 21st championship title
The pass of three for Asvel. At home, in a stifling match 5, the Rhodaniens overcame Monaco (84-82 after extra time) to win the 21st title in their history. It was not all easy for Tony Parker’s club, which led two wins to one in this final between the two best clubs in France, but Elie Okobo (20 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists in game 5) and his teammates succeeded in reversing the trend by first winning largely in the Principality in match 4 (85-68), before this tense final at the Astroballe, marvelously concluded by a saving counter from William Howard in the final seconds.
21st title for Asvel, after an epic match 5 against Monaco! https://t.co/ugOYTaN4pK
— francetvsport (@francetvsport) June 25, 2022
Cycling: the blue-white-red jersey for Florian Senechal and Audrey Cordon-Ragot
A Belgian team shines on French soil. After Rémi Cavagna in 2021, it was his teammate at Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Florian Senechal who won the title of French champion in the road race organized in Cholet, Sunday June 26. After breaking out of the peloton at the start of the last ten kilometers, a group of five strong people managed to defy the odds to fight for victory, and avoid the massive sprint expected in Maine-et-Loire. In the home straight, Florian Senechal sprinted ahead of Anthony Turgis (2nd), Axel Zingle (3rd), Warren Barguil (4th) and Benjamin Thomas (5th).
This is the very first national title for the Northerner, unlike Audrey Cordon-Ragot (Trek-Segafredo), titled in the women’s road race for the second time (first coronation in 2020), Saturday June 25. The 32-year-old runner even achieves the double against the clock (her 6th national title in the discipline)-line race, a first since Pauline Ferrand-Prévot in 2014.
MotoGP: two crashes and an abandonment for Fabio Quartararo
Winner of the last two Grands Prix in Germany and Catalonia, Fabio Quartararo experienced a first setback on Sunday June 26, during the Dutch Grand Prix. On the Assen circuit, the reigning world champion crashed twice, on the 5th and 13th laps, and was forced to retire for the first time this season after “a rookie mistake”in the words of the unfortunate of the day.
DOWN AGAIN! @FabioQ20 highsides out of Turn 5! #DutchGP pic.twitter.com/yUiFrPsh49
—MotoGP™ (@MotoGP) June 26, 2022
The Italian Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) jumped at the chance to win in the “cathedral of speed” after taking pole position and leading the entire race. Marco Bezzecchi (Ducati), second, and Maverick Vinales (Aprilia), third, complete the podium. In the general classification, Fabio Quartararo remains leader of the world championship with 21 points ahead of Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia), 4th on Sunday, and 58 over Frenchman Johann Zarco, only 13th in the Netherlands.