Romain Grégoire Triumphs at Faun Ardèche Vintage After Chaotic Finish and Unexpected Rider Mishap

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Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) wins 2025 Faun Ardeche Vintage(Symbol credit score: Getty Photographs)Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS Astana) took a past due solo flyer(Symbol credit score: Getty Photographs)Enric Mas (Movistar) was once very lively within the finale(Symbol credit score: Getty Photographs)Brandon McNulty (UAE Group Emirates) made the overall variety(Symbol credit score: Getty Photographs)Jua Ayuso (UAE Group Emirates) and Roman Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) within the chase team(Symbol credit score: Getty Photographs)Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) leads the peloton(Symbol credit score: Getty Photographs)Joris Chaussinand (CIC U Nantes) leads the early breakaway(Symbol credit score: Getty Photographs)

Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) emerged from a make a choice 10-rider team in a chaotic run to the road to win the twenty fifth version of the Faun Ardèche Vintage on Saturday.

After being lively all day and participating in more than one assaults, the 22-year-old French rider was once a part of a 12-man team that shaped within the ultimate climb of the day, the steep Val d’Enfer within of 7 kilometres to move.

With lower than one kilometre to move, Enric Mas (Movistar) attacked the entrance with Brandon McNulty (UAE Group Emirates-XRG) and Javier Romo (Movistar) on his wheel however crisis struck when the Spaniard led the trio off the direction as they took a proper activate a last roundabout as a substitute of going directly. 

Very accustomed to the direction, 2d in 2024, Grégoire didn’t observe the trio and was once in a position to hurry to the end line to say the victory.

Marco Brenner (Tudor) took 2d, crossing the road 3 seconds in the back of the winner. Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS Astana) adopted to say 3rd position.

“I had a little trouble enjoying it [the victory], it’s still weird the feeling with these riders who made a mistake with 300 meters to go. I sort of have the impression of not having made the sprint. But then, it’s the riders’ fault, I’m going to try to enjoy it, I won and that’s what counts,” Grégoire said.

“All day long, we really raced like bosses, we put ourselves in front and we really took charge all day long. I was a little afraid honestly halfway of the race that we had maybe done too much, that we would be a little too committed in the end, and in the end the guys really held up well, they were there all day long.”

The 169.5 km Faun-Ardèche Classic, starting and ending in Guilherand-Granges, with its nine climbs delivering over 3000 metres of elevation gain, is tailor-made for punchy climbers.

An early breakaway, including  Jonas Grégaard (Lotto), Kamiel Bonneu (intermarché-Wanty), Baptiste Poulard (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Mattéo Vercher (TotalEnergies), Xabier Mikel Azparren (Q36.5), Célestin Guillon (Van Rysel-Roubaix) and Joris Chaussinand (CIC U Nantes), build up a lead of two minutes before being reeled before the climb Saint-Romain-de-Lerps inside of 25 kilometres to go.

Fortunato countered an attack by Valentin Paret-Peintre  (Soudal-QuickStep) on the lower slopes and escaped in a solo move. The Italian continued solo, as attacks continued in the group behind him, and he still had seven seconds on a chase group as he started the final climb of the day, the Val d’Enfer, but was soon joined by Mas. 

Inside of two kilometres to go, the two riders were reeled in, leaving 12 riders to battle for the victory. Joining Fortunato and Mas were Grégoire, Romo, McNulty, Brenner and his teammate Marc Hirschi, Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) and Fortunato’s teammate Cristian Scaroni.

Going for broke, Mas attacked before the final roundabout but went off course and lost his chance at victory.

Results

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