Two one-day class .1 races (the Sunday one was cancelled) in France on Friday and Saturday. Happening at the same time/period as the more upmarket Flèche Brabançonne and Amstel, they usually present a rather weak field, which allowed G. Martin (🇫🇷 FDJ) to score 2 wins last year. This is exacerbated this year by the presence of O gran Camiño in parallel: while in previous years many Spanish Pro-Teams were coming, only Kern will be there this year.

Maps and profiles on my post in French: https://sh.itjust.works/post/58613242

On the first race, the decision is usually only made in the second and final climb of the Côte de la Malate in Montfaucon. Fun fact, the race passes on C. Berthet's doorstep a few hundred metres from the top. The victory smiles upon (short) climbers or possibly punchers-climbers.

The second race course is nowadays more reminiscent of a mountain stage in a GT. The peloton may often be split before the last climb, contrarily to the Besançon race where it normally arrives compact at the bottom of the final climb.

PCS pages:

edit: Oh, by the way, Gaudu was expected but his participation was cancelled. Allergies this time...

edit 2: Décathlon brings quite the team who did a good Basque Country (except for the last day): Bisiaux🇫🇷, Prodhomme🇫🇷 and Riccitello🇺🇸. It may not be as easy as usual for FDJ.

[–] Deschanel2027@sh.itjust.works 1 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

Besançon classic

As I alternated between races, it is quite possible I missed some, but I didn't see any action this year in the circuit. Usually there are a few attempts in the first climb, in the descent, on the plateau...

We could discover the new Scandinavian small team Lucky Sport thanks to a long solo breakaway.

FDJ pulled the peloton all day long. And naturally disappeared in the final climb: their favourites vanished (Martin🇫🇷 24^th^ at 1′20″...) , and their best rider in the end is one of those who were wasted in pulling the peloton : C. Braz🇫🇷. Yet another disaster.

The winner is of course a rider whom I had not quoted 😃 as he hadn't ridden in a year! J. Jegat (🇫🇷 Total) managed to beat the two Décathlon riders Bisiaux🇫🇷 and Riccitello🇺🇸.

Behind, J. Meehan🇮🇪, joined by B. Munton🇿🇦, stuck to the first three a long time. Munton🇿🇦 finished better but both produced a very honourable performance.

Then we saw our traditional Spaniard, this year, Unai Iribar🇪🇸 from Kern.

First Conti riders are: T. Champion (🇫🇷 St-Michel) and A. Mariault (🇫🇷 CIC), 9^th^ and 10^th^. Then there is a Jaime Jamaica (🇨🇴 Nu Colombia) 15^th^.

[–] Deschanel2027@sh.itjust.works 1 points 6 days ago

The winner is of course a rider whom I had not quoted 😃 as he hadn’t ridden in a year! J. Jegat (🇫🇷 Total) managed to beat the two Décathlon riders Bisiaux🇫🇷 and Riccitello🇺🇸.

I hadn't paid attention to the fact that Jegat, despite his top-10 in last Tour de France GC, had never won anything before today! This a good way to start a season 👍