Ladagnous sprints to La Poly Normande victory

The La Poly Normande podium (l-r): Stefan Van Dijck (2nd, Verandas Willems), Matthieu Ladagnous (1st, Française Des Jeux) and Wesley Sulzberger (3rd, Française Des Jeux)

The La Poly Normande podium (l-r): Stefan Van Dijck (2nd, Verandas Willems), Matthieu Ladagnous (1st, Française Des Jeux) and Wesley Sulzberger (3rd, Française Des Jeux) (Image credit: Jean-François Quénet)

Matthieu Ladagnous quickly overcame the disappointment of his non-selection for the Tour de France by continuing Française des Jeux's recent dominance of the La Poly Normande. After finishing fourth overall in the Tour de Wallonie, Ladagnous won the French Cup race organised by the commentator of the Tour de France, Daniel Mangeas, in his Normand village of Saint-Martin-de-Landelles on Sunday.

Following the successes of his teammates Arnaud Gérard (in 2008) and Benoît Vaugrenard (2007), Ladagnous finished first in an unusual bunch sprint and shared the podium with his Australian companion Wesley Sulzberger who placed third.

"When I came here I hoped for a breakaway," Ladagnous said. "I thought it was over when the front group had a seven-minute lead. I didn't feel good with 30 kilometres to go. At the end, it wasn't a typical bunch sprint. Everybody was tired. We all sprinted without a real strategy."

Sulzberger was on his wheel but also didn't have the speed for the finale, something that only Stefan van Dijk (Verandas Willems) had. "I was the strongest, but I started sprinting too late," said van Dijk.

Sulzberger was delighted to accompany Ladagnous to the podium. "It was flat out at the end but I'm happy to see the form coming back for Paris-Corrèze, which was my first race with Française des Jeux one year ago. I have big ambitions there," the Tasmanian said.

Ladagnous, who emerged as one of the most promising riders after winning the Four Days of Dunkirk two years ago, was surprisingly left out of the Tour de France team by the Française des Jeux management. "I was disappointed to learn it from Marc Madiot on the eve of the French championship," the rider from Pau said. "I watched it and there were many opportunities for a rider like me, but it's not the end of the world. There will be other Tours for me I hope and there are other interesting races as well. Today is a good example that there is a life as a bike rider after the Tour de France."

A nine-man breakaway took shape after only five kilometres of racing in the outskirts of Avranches where Bradley McGee won stage 7 of the 2002 Tour de France. It included Jocelyn Bar (Française des Jeux), Pierre Rolland (Bbox-Bouygues Telecom), René Mandri (AG2R La Mondiale), Benjamin Giraud (Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne), Jean-Luc Delpech (Bretagne-Schuller), Anthony Delaplace (Besson Chaussures-Sojasun), Diego Tamayo (Carmiooro - A-Style), James Vanlandschoot (Verandas Willems) and Loïc Desriac (French National Team).

The riders in the break were not taken very seriously because many of them were trainees (Bar, Giraud and Delaplace), amateur (Desriac) and members of Continental teams, so they were able to extend their lead to 7:40 over the peloton. Eventually Cofidis took up the chase, not trusting Giraud's ability to win, otherwise the peloton would likely have never brought back the escapees.

Utilizing his form from the Tour de France, Rolland tried to go solo but his escape attempt was unsuccessful. Tamayo, Delpech and Delaplace, who was doing his first pro race in the same village of Saint-Martin-de-Landelles where he won the U17 race only four years ago, attacked their breakaway companions but this move, too, did not succeed. The peloton absorbed all of the riders from the break with 10 kilometres remaining to the finish and the teams of the sprinters prepared for a field sprint to decide the race.

Anthony Geslin (Française des Jeux) and the leader of the French Cup Jimmy Casper (Besson Chaussures-Sojasun) were among the riders who tried to avoid a bunch sprint with attacks in the closing kilometres, but each effort was neutralised by the peloton.

Matthieu Ladagnous (Française des Jeux) led-out the sprint from 300 metres with teammate Wesley Sulzberger on his wheel. Stefan van Dijk (Verandas Willems) almost managed to overtake both Française des Jeux riders, but the photo-finish confirmed Ladagnous as the winner.

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Results
1Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) Française Des Jeux3:45:23
2Stefan Van Dijck (Ned) Verandas WillemsRow 1 - Cell 2
3Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Française Des JeuxRow 2 - Cell 2
4Bert De Waele (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - ColnagoRow 3 - Cell 2
5Julien El Fares (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En LigneRow 4 - Cell 2
6Freddy Bichot (Fra) AgritubelRow 5 - Cell 2
7Daniele Colli (Ita) Carmiooro - A-StyleRow 6 - Cell 2
8Steven Tronet (Fra) Roubaix Lille MetropoleRow 7 - Cell 2
9Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La MondialeRow 8 - Cell 2
10Renaud Dion (Fra) AG2R La MondialeRow 9 - Cell 2
11Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En LigneRow 10 - Cell 2
12Julien Simon (Fra) Besson Chaussures - SojasunRow 11 - Cell 2
13Laurent Beuret (Swi) Carmiooro - A-StyleRow 12 - Cell 2
14Benoît Sinner (Fra) Besson Chaussures - SojasunRow 13 - Cell 2
15Francisco José Ventoso Alberdi (Spa) Carmiooro - A-StyleRow 14 - Cell 2
16Pierre Cazaux (Fra) Roubaix Lille MetropoleRow 15 - Cell 2
17Steven Caethoven (Bel) AgritubelRow 16 - Cell 2
18Alexandre Pichot (Fra) BBox Bouygues TelecomRow 17 - Cell 2
19Cédric Pineau (Fra) AG2R La MondialeRow 18 - Cell 2
20Jan Kuyckx (Bel) Verandas WillemsRow 19 - Cell 2
21Anthony Ravard (Fra) AgritubelRow 20 - Cell 2
22Guillaume Bonnafond (Fra) AG2R La MondialeRow 21 - Cell 2
23Sébastien Harbonnier (Fra) Continental Team DifferdangeRow 22 - Cell 2
24Lilian Jegou (Fra) Bretagne - SchullerRow 23 - Cell 2
25Niels Brouzes (Fra) Auber 93Row 24 - Cell 2
26Florian Vachon (Fra) Roubaix Lille MetropoleRow 25 - Cell 2
27Jonathan Thire (Fra) Auber 93Row 26 - Cell 2
28John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La MondialeRow 27 - Cell 2
29Vincent Jerome (Fra) BBox Bouygues TelecomRow 28 - Cell 2
30Anthony Geslin (Fra) Française Des JeuxRow 29 - Cell 2
31Mikael Cherel (Fra) Française Des JeuxRow 30 - Cell 2
32Jocelyn Bar (Fra) Française Des JeuxRow 31 - Cell 2
33Sébastien Duret (Fra) Bretagne - SchullerRow 32 - Cell 2
34Sylvain Georges (Fra) French National TeamRow 33 - Cell 2
35Morgan Chedhomme (Fra) Auber 93Row 34 - Cell 2
36Remi Cusin (Fra) AgritubelRow 35 - Cell 2
37Aurelien Duval (Fra) Francaise des JeuxRow 36 - Cell 2
38Mickaël Buffaz (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En LigneRow 37 - Cell 2
39Rene Mandri (Est) AG2R La MondialeRow 38 - Cell 2
40Jean Eudes Demaret (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En LigneRow 39 - Cell 2
41Yann Pivois (Fra) Bretagne - SchullerRow 40 - Cell 2
42Jean-Luc Delpech (Fra) Bretagne - SchullerRow 41 - Cell 2
43Romain Lemarchand (Fra) Auber 93Row 42 - Cell 2
44Maxim Gourov (Kaz) Carmiooro - A-StyleRow 43 - Cell 2
45Arnaud Courteille (Fra) Française Des JeuxRow 44 - Cell 2
46Blaise Sonnery (Fra) AG2R La MondialeRow 45 - Cell 2
47Romain Zingle (Bel) Verandas Willems0:00:10
48Guillaume Levarlet (Fra) Française Des JeuxRow 47 - Cell 2
49Diego Alejandro Tamayo (Col) Carmiooro - A-StyleRow 48 - Cell 2
50Fabien Taillefer (Fra) Roubaix Lille MetropoleRow 49 - Cell 2
51Thomas Lebas (Fra) French National TeamRow 50 - Cell 2
52Laurent Lefevre (Fra) BBox Bouygues TelecomRow 51 - Cell 2
53Florian Guillou (Fra) Roubaix Lille MetropoleRow 52 - Cell 2
54James Vanlandschoot (Bel) Verandas WillemsRow 53 - Cell 2
55Loïc Desriac (Fra) French National TeamRow 54 - Cell 2
56Maryan Hary (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En LigneRow 55 - Cell 2
57Jimmy Casper (Fra) Besson Chaussures - SojasunRow 56 - Cell 2
58Guillaume Malle (Fra) French National TeamRow 57 - Cell 2
59Koen Barbe (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - ColnagoRow 58 - Cell 2
60Kevin Peeters (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - ColnagoRow 59 - Cell 2
61Eric Berthou (Fra) Carmiooro - A-StyleRow 60 - Cell 2
62Franck Bouyer (Fra) BBox Bouygues TelecomRow 61 - Cell 2
63Cyril Gautier (Fra) BBox Bouygues TelecomRow 62 - Cell 2
64Maxime Mederel (Fra) Auber 93Row 63 - Cell 2
65Tony Gallopin (Fra) Auber 930:00:16
66Jeremy Galland (Fra) Besson Chaussures - SojasunRow 65 - Cell 2
67Nicolas Jalabert (Fra) AgritubelRow 66 - Cell 2
68Dimitri Champion (Fra) Bretagne - SchullerRow 67 - Cell 2
69Anthony De La Place (Fra) Besson Chaussures - Sojasun0:00:19
70Romain Matheou (Fra) Besson Chaussures - SojasunRow 69 - Cell 2
71Fabrice Jeandesboz (Fra) Besson Chaussures - SojasunRow 70 - Cell 2
72Jean-Marc Marino (Fra) Besson Chaussures - Sojasun0:00:21
73Yann Huguet (Fra) AgritubelRow 72 - Cell 2
74Johan Mombaerts (Fra) Auber 930:00:31
75Mickael Larpe (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole0:00:37
76Antoine Dalibard (Fra) Bretagne - Schuller0:00:38
77Sébastien Minard (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne0:00:44
78Grégory Habeaux (Bel) Verandas Willems0:01:04
79Jean-Marc Bideau (Fra) Bretagne - Schuller0:01:46
80Laurent Denonfoux (Fra) French National Team0:03:40
81Nadir Haddou (Fra) Auber 930:03:42
82Arnaud Molmy (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En LigneRow 81 - Cell 2
83Benjamin Giraud (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En LigneRow 82 - Cell 2
84Sébastien Hinault (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale0:03:44
85Mathieu Criquielion (Bel) Verandas WillemsRow 84 - Cell 2
86Cédric Collaers (Bel) Verandas WillemsRow 85 - Cell 2
87Masaru Fukuhara (Jpn) Team Bridgestone AnchorRow 86 - Cell 2
88Sébastien Fournet Fayard (Fra) Carmiooro - A-Style0:06:36
DNFRony Martias (Fra) BBox Bouygues TelecomRow 88 - Cell 2
DNFPierre Rolland (Fra) BBox Bouygues TelecomRow 89 - Cell 2
DNFKenji Itami (Jpn) Team Bridgestone AnchorRow 90 - Cell 2
DNFMasamichi Yamamoto (Jpn) Team Bridgestone AnchorRow 91 - Cell 2
DNFMitsunari Mitaki (Jpn) Team Bridgestone AnchorRow 92 - Cell 2
DNFSho Aikawa (Jpn) Team Bridgestone AnchorRow 93 - Cell 2
DNFShinpei Fukuda (Jpn) Team Bridgestone AnchorRow 94 - Cell 2
DNFGael Malacarne (Fra) Bretagne - SchullerRow 95 - Cell 2
DNFNicolas Baldo (Fra) Continental Team DifferdangeRow 96 - Cell 2
DNFJempy Drucker (Lux) Continental Team DifferdangeRow 97 - Cell 2
DNFDominik Eberle (Ger) Continental Team DifferdangeRow 98 - Cell 2
DNFMorten Knudsen (Den) Continental Team DifferdangeRow 99 - Cell 2
DNFCyrille Heymans (Lux) Continental Team DifferdangeRow 100 - Cell 2
DNFJulien Fouchard (Fra) French National TeamRow 101 - Cell 2
DNFMathieu Halleguen (Fra) French National TeamRow 102 - Cell 2
DNFGaylord Cumont (Fra) French National TeamRow 103 - Cell 2
DNFMartial Ricci Poggi (Fra) Landbouwkrediet - ColnagoRow 104 - Cell 2
DNFMathieu Drouilly (Fra) Landbouwkrediet - ColnagoRow 105 - Cell 2
DNFDavid Boucher (Fra) Landbouwkrediet - ColnagoRow 106 - Cell 2
DNFDenis Flahaut (Fra) Landbouwkrediet - ColnagoRow 107 - Cell 2
DNFJonathan Bertrand (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - ColnagoRow 108 - Cell 2
DNFBastien Delrot (Fra) Roubaix Lille MetropoleRow 109 - Cell 2
DNFOlivier Pardini (Bel) Verandas WillemsRow 110 - Cell 2

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