McNulty continues fast start to 2022 with Faun-Ardèche Classic victory

Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) took a fine solo victory in the Ardèche Classic, attacking 23 kilometres from the finish before riding away from his rivals.

The 23-year-old American was part of a group that went clear on the penultimate time up the Côte de Val d'Enfer, and he then disanced his breakaway companions to take victory.

It was the American’s second victory of the season after also winning the Trofeo Calvia last month, and he signalled his continuing good form by placing second overall at the Volta ao Algarve.

World champion Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team) and Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) had started the attacking, but as a tactical battle commenced, the winning breakaway slipped away and finished at the back of a reduced peloton.

Sepp Kuss had launched the winning move, but McNulty slipped clear finishing 45 seconds clear and the Jumbo-Visma rider was beaten into second in a sprint with Mauri Vansevenant (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl).

The peloton were left battling for seventh place with Alaphilippe and Roglič on the back.

How it unfolded

Last year’s edition saw David Gaudu (Groupama – FDJ) take victory after a two-up sprint with Clément Champoussin (AG2R Citroën Team).  Gaudu did not start this year’s edition to defend his title with all eyes on world champion Julian Alaphilippe.

Starting his season at the Ardèche Classic was Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma), who was looking to test his winter training ahead of Paris-Nice next week.

The Ardèche Classic features over 3,000 metres of climbing and three ascents of the Côte de Val d’Enfer with steep sections of 14%.

Roglič, along with many of his race rivals, was treating it as a double weekend of French races with the Drôme Classic the following day.

The 168km course saw riders compete over eight classified climbs with the race starting and finishing in Guilherand-Granges.

A difficult final 29km included the Mur de Cornas, Saint Romain de Lerps and finally the Côte de Val d’Enfer, which is just 1.5km in length but with an average of 10% and it cam just 7km from the finish.

Attacks started as soon as the flag dropped on the Côte du Pin with riders keen to make the day’s breakaway, while QuickStep-AlphaVinyl and Jumbo-Visma monitored who escaped the bunch.

A three-man breakaway eventually formed consisting of Bruno Armirail (Groupama – FDJ), Jérémy Cabot (TotalEnergies) and Mathias Le Turnier (Team U Nantes Atlantique) with the trio quickly building a lead of over four minutes.

On the second climb of the day, Col de la Justice, the bunch split with Groupama – FDJ and

Lotto Soudal being caught out and having to expend energy chasing 13 kilometres before regrouping.

After the opening exchanges the race settled down with the peloton sitting 2:27 back with 55 kilometres of racing remaining.

Coming onto the long descent to the foot of Côte de Val d'Enfer, it was Le Turnier who was dropped from the breakaway.

On the penultimate time up the Côte de Val d'Enfer, nicknamed ‘the valley of hell’, the favourites started to begin pushing the pace with Bora-Hansgrohe and Jumbo-Visma gathering on the front as the gap came down to two minutes with 35km remaining.

The breakaway split on the Mur du Cornas with Armirail going clear alone breaking his partner with 28km left.

Behind, Jumbo-Visma set up an attack for Roglič which was countered by Alaphilippe taking a group of eight riders at the head of proceedings.

On the descent, Alaphilippe continued his assault but was again followed by Roglič and Brandon McNulty), as the leading group reduced to around 10 riders.

Jumbo-Visma had another card to play as Sepp Kuss was the next to launch an attack with 26 kilometres left of the race. Kuss was joined at the front by McNulty, Mauri Vansevenant (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team) and Clément Champoussin (AG2R Citroën Team).

The newly formed breakaway caught Amirail at the head of proceedings and had a gap of 30 seconds on the group of favourites.

McNulty launched his bid for victory and as the breakaway allowed him a small gap that then grew to 10 seconds with 23 kilometres remaining. Three kilometres later, on the descent of Saint-Romain-de-Lerps, and with only the final climb remaining, McNulty led by 17 seconds from a chase pairing of Vansevenant and Champoussin, with the bunch now 1:10 behind.

Kuss battled his way back to Vansevenant and Champoussin, with the chasing trio 30 seconds behind lone leader McNulty and the bunch 1:20 back with 10 kilometres remaining.

Hitting the final 1.5 kilometre climb with just 7.5 kilometres remaining, McNulty was riding strongly and alone as he hit the 14% gradients.

In the chasing breakaway,  Champoussin was dropped as Kuss and Vansevenant looked to pull back the 43-second deficit.

Behind the peloton were left with too much to do on the final climb as the breakaway battled for the podium spots.

McNulty soloed to victory, while Vansevenant outsprinted Kuss for second place at 45 seconds and the chasers came in at 1:44.