Grand Prix de Fourmies, Amaury Capiot 3rd
For his comeback race, Amaury Capiot signed his 10th podium of the season by placing 3rd in the North of France.
Photo Gettyimages
On the line
“I was lucky in this race and benefited from the crash that broke the peloton in several parts at the beginning of the finish. I saw Hugo fall, and from then on I knew I had to sprint. It was my first race back and I didn’t feel any pain. It’s the biggest effort I’ve made in a fortnight and it bodes well for the end of the season. I’m up against two very strong sprinters and I knew that given my condition they would be stronger than me. I want to thank Donavan for the work he did for me. I shouted to him at one point to put me back on the wheel of Caleb Ewan. He did this job perfectly, a big part of this podium is the result of his superb relay and placement in my favour on the approach to the finish line. I am very satisfied with this 3rd place in Fourmies”.
The debrief’
“Hugo and some other riders were caught in the big crash at the beginning of the final, but they were just bothered. Fourmies is a difficult race without being hard, there is no huge movement race which meant that the peloton was still compact and tense in the final, hence the explanation of this big crash. The initial plan was to sprint in favour of Hugo, but the crash reshuffled our cards. Amaury, who was on his comeback race, did it and was almost equal to two of the best sprinters in the world. This is more than encouraging. It was a test for his back, and it was conclusive. We also have to salute the collective work of the whole team to protect our two sprinters during the whole day in order to put them in the best conditions”.
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