Roland Fangille would have appreciated.
Died last November at the age of 82, the creator of the Etoile de Bessèges will not witness the incessant broomstick of star runners across the Gard.
50 years after the creation of the event in 1971, the first French stage race of the season benefits from a much higher plateau than usual, because, or rather thanks to the health situation.
Thus, the most famous armada of cycling will be there for the first time.
And the Ineos Grenadiers are favorites with regard to the riders chosen to travel the country of Nîmes.
In addition to former world champion Michal Kwiatkowski (stage winner on the last Tour de France) and time-trial world champion Filippo Ganna, Dave Brailsford will field two recent Tour winners with Geraint Thomas (2018) and Egan Bernal (2019). ).
The Colombian, marked by a difficult year punctuated by a retirement from the Tour de France, expressed his joy to get back on the bike on his social networks: “After almost 5 months without competition, I am super excited to be able to start my season this Wednesday in France, it feels good to resume racing. ”
2021. Race 1️⃣.
Let's have some fun pic.twitter.com/X8w8Zd2nN9
- INEOS Grenadiers (@INEOSGrenadiers) February 1, 2021
Eleven World Tour teams, a record
A star presence that testifies to the five-star line-up at the start of the 51st edition of the Etoile de Bessèges, which continues thanks to its army of volunteers.
While five World Tour teams generally lined up for the event (7 for the 50th in 2020), no less than eleven first division teams will make the salt of this already historic edition, a direct consequence of the various postponements of races at the start of the year. 'year.
The ax fell for the Tour of the Valencian Community in particular.
A postponement that confused Greg Van Avermaet, head of the gondola of an AG2R-Citroën Team formation with affirmed ambitions and assumed from the outset by Aurélien Paret-Peintre, surprise winner of the Grand Prix de la Marseillaise this Sunday.
“The situation requires us to adapt, reacted the Olympic champion.
My goal is to pick up the pace and do a good job to see what is going on. ”
In this endeavor, the Belgian will be accompanied in particular by his compatriot Oliver Naesen and another recruit, Marc Sarreau.
Equipped to play for the win, the Vincent Lavenu gang will have to fight to keep their title, after the victory of Benoît Cosnefroy last year.
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Intensified competition for the French
Absent due to an injury, the Normand had perpetuated the recent French tradition on the race.
Eight of the last ten winners are French, and a Frenchman has always won the bet since 2016. If Marc Sarreau appears as a natural contender, Nacer Bouhanni, winner of the Coupe de France last year, will start his season at Bessèges with ambition. as well.
But the competition will be tough.
Apart from the Ineos' strike force, the Bora-Hansgrohe will have several cards up its sleeve (Ackermann, Polittt, Grosschartner).
Among other headliners, Bauke Mollema and Vincenzo Nibali will assume the ambitions of the American team Trek-Segafredo, while Tim Wellens (Lotto-Soudal) and especially Rigoberto Uran (EF Pro Cycling) will be one to watch.
@bryancoquard avant @Etoile_Besseges: “Given the context, it's great to be able to run these first events in France.
Many leaders have fallen back on this race, I have rarely seen such a high plateau. ”# MenInGlaz l # ThereIsNoTrypic.twitter.com / zKB6jbbyWs
- B&B HOTELS p / b KTM (@BBHOTELSpbKTM) February 2, 2021
"A lot of leaders have fallen back on this race, I have rarely seen such a high plateau", notes Bryan Coquard (B&B Hotels), who will take the Men in Glaz three days after his third place in La Marseillaise.
The Breton sprinter will have the opportunity to shine, on a rugged course which is conducive to sprint finishes, in particular during the first two stages.
If the first, 141 km long for a loop around Bellegarde, will be judged on the Côte de la Tour (600 m at 6.9% average) that everyone will have been able to recognize after a first passage 40 meters from the finish , the second (154 km) will be much more accessible with its arrival at La Calmette.
All these beautiful people should be decided on Sunday, with a quick time trial in the streets of Alès (11 km).
Favorite among the favorites, the Italian rider Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadier), world champion in the time trial and winner of the three lap times of the last Giro (4 stage victories), could win the day.
In the meantime, 3000 vertical meters will then await the runners on the occasion of the third stage, named “Souvenir Raymond Poulidor” in tribute to the great friend of Roland Fangille, who died a year before him, and who had participated in the very first edition. .
Symbol of cycling that does honor to its glorious elders without ever going out of fashion.
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