Team Novo Nordisk Takes on Double-Header at Circuit Sarthe

Race: Circuit Cycliste Sarthe-Pays de la Loire, stages 2a-2b

Start/Finish: Ligne/Angers – Angers/Angers

Distance: 99.8km-6.6km

Angers, France — Team Novo Nordisk raced twice on Wednesday in France, completing a short but fast road stage in the morning and a lightning-quick individual time trial in the afternoon around the Maine riverbank in the lovely city of Angers.

A 2-rider breakaway from the start in foggy Ligne stayed around three minutes ahead of the peloton as it approached the circuit finish in Angers in the morning, but French teams quickly rolled up their advantage in the technically challenging museum-district streets. Bryan Coquard of France won the mass sprint ahead of Italian Matteo Malucelli and fellow Frenchman Clement Venturini.

In the afternoon riders warmed up after a refueling lunch for the short time trial, and mingled with large crowds of French cycling enthusiasts. Alex Dowsett of England was fastest against the clock, beating his Spanish teammate Jonathan Castroviejo and French sprinter Arthur Vichot. For his victory in the late stage Dowsett now takes the leader’s yellow jersey by two seconds over Vichot with two more stages to go.

Team Novo Nordisk Sport Director Lionel Marie

“The organizational challenge on a day with two stages is quite hard. Mechanics prepared all of the time trial bikes yesterday evening and everyone woke up early today to drive out to the morning start. In the afternoon the medical staff and soigneurs made sure the riders could eat and digest in time and in comfort, and our athletic trainer was in charge of managing the warm up and race preparation. We met the challenge as well as any Pro Tour team because we are fortunate to have the staff and resources to do so.”

Quentin Valognes

“This morning was a short stage, just 100k, and the team was entirely focused on helping me for the sprint. Romain and Gerd kept me in the right place and really did the hard work to put me at the front of the race at the finish. It was really good team spirit. It’s really incredible to race for the first time in France with Team Novo Nordisk and have the support of my friends and family today.”

The world’s first all-diabetes pro cycling team will race all week in France at the Circuit Cycliste Sarthe-Pays de la Loire.

Gallery:

Results 2a: 

• 1^st: Bryan Coquard (Direct Energie): 2:19:55
• 2^nd: Matteo Malucelli (Androni Giocatolli): same time as Coquard
• 3^rd: Clement Venturini (Cofidis, Solutions Credit): “

Team Novo Nordisk Results: 

• Quentin Valognes: 48^th: same time as Coquard
• Romain Gioux: 50^th: same time as Coquard
• Charles Planet: 66^th: same time as Coquard
• Umberto Poli: 74^th : same time as Coquard
• Javier Megias: 87^th: 0:18 behind Coquard
• Gerd De Keijzer: 91^st: 0:39 behind Coquard

Results 2b: 

• 1^st: Alex Dowsett (Movistar Team): 7:49
• 2^nd: Jonathan Castroviejo (Movistar Team): 0:08 behind Dowsett
• 3^rd: Arthur Vichot (FDJ): 0:10 behind Dowsett

Team Novo Nordisk Results: 

• Charles Planet: 66^th: 0:56 behind Dowsett
• Javier Megias: 83^rd: 1:14 behind Dowsett
• Umberto Poli: 84^th : 1:15 behind Dowsett
• Romain Gioux: 91^st: 1:28 behind Dowsett
• Quentin Valognes: 94^th: 1:35 behind Dowsett
• Gerd De Keijzer: 96^th: 1:44 behind Dowsett

(Photos: ©Regis Garnier)