Grégoire Soloes to His First French Road Race Title in La Tour-du-Pin as Groupama-FDJ Control a Sweltering Championship
Romain Grégoire is the new French national road race champion, the 23-year-old breaking clear on the final climb to win alone in La Tour-du-Pin and pull the tricolore jersey over his shoulders for the first time in his career. It was a victory built on patience and the calm collective work of Groupama-FDJ, who controlled the decisive phase of a brutally hot championship before turning their leader loose at exactly the right moment.
Extreme heat in the Isère forced organisers to trim one of the fourteen finishing circuits, cutting the route from 241.8km to 225.5km, but the parcours still packed nearly 3,200 metres of climbing into the day. With the temperature climbing through the afternoon, the peloton of 141 starters was steadily whittled down until only the strongest survivors remained in contention on the closing laps.
Grégoire timed his move to perfection, accelerating around 500 metres from the top of the longest climb and opening a gap that the chasers could not close. With three kilometres remaining he was clear and alone, charging towards the line unchallenged to seal the most significant win of his young career. "I dreamed of this victory," the Groupama-FDJ man said afterwards, visibly emotional at having claimed a title that has long carried huge prestige in French cycling.
Behind him, Paul Lapeira of Decathlon CMA CGM sprinted to silver, with Joris Delbove of TotalEnergies completing the podium. Lapeira, who had already finished on the podium at the Grand Prix du Morbihan earlier in the season, again confirmed his form as one of the most consistent French puncheurs, but on the day there was no answer to Grégoire's well-judged attack.
The result caps a remarkable rise for Grégoire, who has been billed as the great hope of French stage racing since turning professional. A national title removes any lingering questions about his ability to finish off a major one-day occasion, and it hands Groupama-FDJ a jersey to celebrate at a moment when French teams are under pressure to deliver on home soil.
The timing could hardly be sweeter. Grégoire will line up at the Tour de France in just six days, and he will do so in the colours of French champion. With the Grand Départ in Barcelona looming, he has spoken openly of his ambition to take a stage on the biggest stage of all, and arriving in the bleu-blanc-rouge will only sharpen the spotlight on one of the most exciting talents in the bunch.