Clément Venturini runner-up in Lannilis
To mark the 40th anniversary of the Tro Bro Leon and the 20th anniversary of the ARKEA-B&B HOTELS team, Clément Venturni came very close to his first success on the road this season. He finished 2nd. His podium finish means he now leads the provisional overall standings in the French Cup.
Photos : M. Hinault & LNC/B.Bade
‘You always start to win but today (Sunday) I can’t have any regrets. I gave it my all. I had a puncture on the first section of the ‘La Ferme’ sector. I wasn’t in the best possible position but my team manager, Arnaud Gérard, told me not to give up. I wanted to leave every last drop of sweat on the road and that’s what I did. The final was very eventful. At one point, Luca Mozzato and I were dropped but we came back. I did the sprint but I was beaten by stronger riders on Sunday. I wanted to bring victory home to the ARKEA-B&B HOTELS team. We were all motivated to do that. We all gave it our all and we’ve got nothing to reproach ourselves for. The Tro Bro Leon is such a beautiful race. Victory is a dream come true and we’ll be coming back here for it.”
‘The day’s results were positive. Clément Venturini took 2nd place, while Luca Mozzato, who is in the process of recovering from his stint in the Flandrian classics in March, finished in the top 10 (7th). Mathis Le Berre, on his first Tro Bro Leon with the pros, was 14th. I would have preferred to replace these fine places with a victory. The ARKEA-B&B HOTELS team was on top form. All the riders accepted our status as favourites. We rode well. I’d also like to highlight the state of mind of the 7 riders involved. Some of them were protected and everyone respected the instructions so that they could be at the front in the final. We’ll be looking for a good overall result and we’re showing that we’re a force to be reckoned with in the second half of the season. It bodes well for the coming weeks’.