Etoile de Bessèges 2024: Axel Laurance, France has talent

Axel Laurence confirme les attentes placées en lui. Midi Libre – Alexis Bethune

The U23 world champion won in Rousson, Thursday February 1, during the 2nd stage where the French showed themselves.

It’s the Frenchman who comes up and he… climbs quite well if we judge his demonstration on the Castellas plateau in Rousson for the finish of the second stage (1.5 km, 6.6%). Alex Laurance, for his first outing under the colors of Alpecin – Deuceunicnk in the World Tour, won strongly ahead of Mads Pedersen (Lidl Trek). The 2023 hopeful world champion beat the 2019 world champion in a hill sprint, fulfilling the expectations placed on him.

"It's freeing, there's definitely pressure. Last year was a great year, everyone is waiting for me. Confirm immediately, it’s good, explained the 22-year-old young man just after arrival. I knew that it suited me as a finish, I saw that there were 150 meters left and I said to myself like in training, full force. We don't stop."

#cyclisme #etoiledebesseges L’arrivée au sprint à Rousson pic.twitter.com/v7ZOulGOEr

— Midi Libre Sports (@MidiLibreSports) February 1, 2024

With such a performance, these opponents will not stop monitoring him even if the contract is fulfilled for the son of Franck Laurence, former professional cyclist. "The team’s objective was to find a stage, it’s done. We'll see how it goes next. There are still many things that can happen."

Le Gardois Alexandre Delettre excellent 14th

Because the stage this Friday February 2 in Bessèges will be more intended for climbers (see opposite) than for punchers but Axel Laurance has a good team around him, she proved it during this stage, and will want to defend the leader's coral jersey.

What will other French runners who showed up during this first day on the Étoile de Bessèges 2024 covet since the first stage was canceled on Wednesday in Bellegarde for security reasons due to farmers' demonstrations.

We think of Kévin Vauquelin (Arkea – B & B Hôtels) 3rd ; Rémy Rochas (Cofidis) 5th; Benoit Cosnefroy, Alex Baudin and Aurélien Paret-Peintre (Decathlon – AG2R La Mondiale) respectively 7th, 8th and 9th; Mathieu Burgaudeau (Total Energies) 11th and even Gardois Alexandre Delettre (Saint-Michel – Mavic – Auber 93), excellent 14th. Even if with the bonuses granted to the first three, a small gap was created.

A breakaway of nearly 150 km

We will not forget in this beautiful tricolor day those who animated the race, Maximilien Juillard (Van Rysel-Roubaix), Matisse Julien (CIC U Nantes Atlantique) and Jean-Louis Le Ny ( Nice Métropole Côte d’Azur) escaped for nearly 150 km and recaptured 6 miles from the finish. France has incredible talents.
 

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