In parallel with the Tour of the Basque Country, this 4-day race has been upgraded to the .Pro class. However, teams didn't seem to take notice, and the startlist remains similar as when it was a 2.1. Actually, due to the disappearance of 2 French WT, there are now less World Teams than last year. But there are more Pro Teams.

I think that the organisation tried to add a bit more relief to the stages to honour the new classification. Except for the final stage in the city of Le Mans with its Gazonfier hill, they were relatively boring until now, with many sprinters victories. I mean, it was those French races where there are hills, there are attacks, but gaps don't get created and (part of) the sprinters and sprinters-punchers almost always manage to reach the line at the front of the race. But with circuit finishes and the geography of the region, you can only do that much.

The first 2 days go towards the Ocean, and the last 2 days come back into the countryside.

Maps and profiles are on my post in French https://sh.itjust.works/post/58065974 . NB: the technical guide was both clean and thorough. Higher ranked races could take a leaf out of their book.

[–] Deschanel2027@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Stage 4

A really good stage today. Lots of time bonuses available. Lots of small but difficult hills. Lots of attempts.

In the final configuration, Kamp (🇩🇰 Uno-X) did most of the work in the group of 4 chasing L'Hôte (🇫🇷 Decathlon), receiving only the help of C. Strong (🇳🇿 NSN). I guess Q. Hermans (🇧🇪 Q36.5) could have been right not to relay, as he was far in GC and he finished last on the sprint, but that's more disputable for Venturini (🇫🇷 Unibet) who was just a few seconds behind C. Strong🇳🇿 in GC and could have great hopes for the sprint. Kamp🇩🇰 probably also paid a bit his earlier efforts when he was in the group that won the time bonus sprint and broke away at that point.

L'Hôte🇫🇷 had tighten his seat-post today, obviously! 🤣 Another brilliant day for Decathlon, even though he was close to be caught up 1 km from the goal.

A bit of a disaster for Cofidis and Coquard🇫🇷 who grabbed the first time bonus on top of a hill in Le Mans, but disappeared later in one of the Gazonfier climbs. And the team got fined for a sticky bottle for L. Rouland... who finished over 4 minutes behind! Coquard🇫🇷 had said he wasn't really interested in the first 2 stages, but concentrated on the last 2; well, the result, 16^th^ on Thursday and 22^nd^ on Friday, is no better than on Tuesday and Wednesday...

Costiou🇫🇷 exemplified what I told about him yesterday: he is always a bit listless this year. He attacks, without dropping everyone but still putting them behind him, but then never pursues his efforts despite looking OK. Best FDJ (himself) is therefore only 15^th^ in GC, in one of the easiest 2.Pro of the season... That's behind Unibet, Bardiani, Caja Rural, Cofidis who screwed up, Total, Polti and even Euskatel and Roubaix... FDJ is lucky that EF is not very good so far and that Picnic sucks badly (but managed to put Bittner 2^nd^ on the WT race-of-fractures), because otherwise it would be very visible that this team has an awful start of season.

[–] Deschanel2027@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Stage 3

It finally gets a bit interesting.

Cofidis tried a team attack already 85 km from the line.

[–] CarstenBoll@feddit.dk 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Well, that's a winner I'd forgotten existed, but the I remembered that he's won the race before. Hopefully an indication of a good Ardennes-campaign to come.

[–] Deschanel2027@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Always present to terrorise our little, defenceless races. The other ones, which stayed class 1 this year, were safe from Viking looters this year, but a .Pro race was too tempting for the horde. That's 2, 2 and 1 on the stages so far.

Spoiler Basque Country

But Cofidis had its revenge on the other side of the Pyrenees!

The young L'Hôte (🇫🇷 Décathlon), who didn't relay the others much after they caught him, declared that he felt a bit 'short' on his bike for the last lap, as his saddle had dropped a bit 😃

Bessega🇮🇹 did well for Polti. I feared that, as too often, Polti would disappear in the last mile after having very visible or active.

The splits + the various time bonuses built an interesting GC before the final stage:

Several favourites, like Costiou^1^ (🇫🇷 FDJ) are in the group at 17′, which has about 30 riders.

A pity the breakaway men wasted a lot of time in the last kilometre, they could have entertained more hopes for final GC if they hadn't.

note 1 : I mean, Costiou didn't impress me so far this year, he always seems a bit limited and unable to make a difference (his GC win in Bessèges is only thanks to the final TT); but he is generally listed among the favourites, is still in that 30 riders group, and finished 2^nd^ of the peloton today behind Strong🇳🇿, so he is not off the game yet.

[–] Deschanel2027@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Stage 2

On the women (one-day) race, there was a rather spectacular crash in the fences during the sprint 50 m from the line.

There seems not to be any wind at all, even in the area of marshes. 😞

Only Davy (🇫🇷 Nice) tried to attack 9 km from the line, but he was caught after 1.5 km.

Nothing else happened but a couple of crashes, each involving several riders, perhaps 15 or 20 km from the line.

The sprint itself didn't cause troubles, but the mile or two before, Jesus, crossing the city centre to reach the shore, full steam ahead through narrow streets made narrower by random street furniture, it was scary at hell, and we believed there was going to be crashes at the front of the bunch 10 times. Yet no crash was witnessed (at least from the front camera) in that part either...

[–] Deschanel2027@sh.itjust.works 1 points 4 days ago

Stage 1

I think that the organisation tried to add a bit more relief to the stages to honour the new classification.

Well, sometimes I don't think right. The few false-flats today were absolutely not enough to avoid a mass sprint in any way. So everyone went for a mass sprint.

And tomorrow, with the arrival on the coast, is guaranteed for sprinters. Unless wind could split the bunch?

[–] Deschanel2027@sh.itjust.works 1 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Actually, due to the disappearance of 2 French WT, there are now less World Teams than last year.

And EF starts with only 4 riders... The two defections raise the average age of the team up to... 21 y.o...

With only 112 riders starting on the first day, that's the shortest startlist of the 2.Pro raced this year. Al-Ula and Andalusia weren't much more populated, but still a little bit more. (The one-day races are significantly more populated.)

Out of the five 2.1 events raced so far, it only beat the shortest (Provence) by 3 riders and Bessèges by 1 one rider.

We can recognise the French touch in this podium 😃 😮‍💨