Consonni earns first victory of year at Paris-Chauny

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Groenewegen a close second in one-day French race

SANOK POLAND AUGUST 02 Simone Consonni of Italy and Team Cofidis prior to the 79th Tour de Pologne 2022 Stage 4 a 1794km stage from Lesko to Sanok TdP22 WorldTour on August 02 2022 in Sanok Poland Photo by Bas CzerwinskiGetty Images
Simone Consonni of Team Cofidis (Image credit: Bas Czerwinski/Getty Images)

Simone Consonni (Cofidis) secured his first victory of the 2022 season at Classique Paris-Chauny on Sunday, holding off a charge by Dylan Groenewegen (Team BikeExchange-Jayco), who finished second. 

From a group of five riders behind, Jason Tesson (St Michel-Auber 93) took third ahead of Hugo Hofstetter (Arkéa-Samsic) in a bike throw, while Arnaud De Lie (Lotto Soudal) was fifth and Marc Sarreau (AG2R Citroën) sixth.

It was the 100th anniversary of the French one-day race, this year 203.5km across the punchy hills of Hauts-de-France. A total of 12 climbs provided KOM points, with seven packed in a section of 40km between kilometres 65 and 117. 

At the halfway point of the race, four leaders had a gap of 2:20 over the peloton - Ludovic Robeet (Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB), Clement Carisey (Go Sport - Roubaix Lille Métropole), Rune Herregodts (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise) and Jorre Debaele (Minerva Cycling). 

Debacle and Carisey faded from the breakaway on a section of double ascents spaced by just six kilometres - Côte de Beaugies-sous-Bois and Côte de Guivry - with just under 50km to race. The two climbs would be climbed a second time on a finishing circuit. While the pair rolled back toward the peloton, the chase began in earnest as the gap of the lead duo dropped under one minute.

The third and final intermediate sprint came in Chauny, on the first finishing circuit, with the lead duo scooping up the top points. AG2R Citroën led the chase as the first lap of 33.5km progressed, looking to close a gap of 40 seconds.

With 23km to go, the catch was evident but Herregodts refused to let up and he tried to charge up the penultimate KOM of the day, a second pass of the Côte de Beaugies-sous-Bois. His time at the front was then quickly absorbed by the peloton before the heavily-wooded KOM across the Guivry.

High speeds strung out the peloton as Arkéa-Samic were the first to assemble five riders at the front for the rolling finish. 

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Jackie Tyson
Jackie Tyson
North American Editor

Jackie has been involved in professional sports for more than 30 years in news reporting, sports marketing and public relations. She founded Peloton Sports in 1998, a sports marketing and public relations agency, which managed projects for Tour de Georgia, Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah and USA Cycling. She also founded Bike Alpharetta Inc, a Georgia non-profit to promote safe cycling. She is proud to have worked in professional baseball for six years - from selling advertising to pulling the tarp for several minor league teams. On the bike, she has climbed l'Alpe d'Huez three times (not fast), and spends time on gravel around horse farms in north Georgia.

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