Aix-en-Provence (AFP)
In orbit since his flight on Saturday on the flanks of Ventoux, Nairo Quintana won unsurprisingly Sunday the Tour de La Provence, the recovery race from Thibaut Pinot (7th) who explained "take his pain in patience".
Even if Nacer Bouhanni could not sign a third victory this season at home in Aix-en-Provence during the 4th and last stage, won by the Briton Owain Doull (Ineos) - who had slipped into the good breakaway -, Arkéa-Samsic confirmed its conquering debut in 2020 with the final victory of its Colombian star recruit.
With 4 successes in 2020, all obtained by its two new headliners, the training based in Bruz (Ille-et-Vilaine) almost equals its balance sheet for the year 2019 from mid-February.
The Bouhanni bet and the investment in Quintana are paying off this winter.
But in cycling, bouquets are not counted at Valentine's Day: this is the message transmitted by Thibaut Pinot, 7th in the final classification in Provence for his recovery race since his retirement from the Tour of France.
"My goals are in March with Paris-Nice (March 8-15, editor's note) and the (Tour de) Catalunya so I shouldn't panic too much but stay calm," said the unhappy hero of July. .
"I was hoping to do better, but you have to know how to be patient," said the climber after dropping more than two minutes on Nairo Quintana the day before.
"No training replaces racing," he insisted. "The best training was to come here."
To test themselves, the Franc-Comtois tried to accelerate in the last difficulty of this rough stage - but "not really a climber" - between Avignon and Aix.
Without effect. The four escaped leaders kept enough ahead to fight for the victory and Owain Doull beat the Austrian Mathias Brändle (Israel Start Up Nation) and the American Ian Garrison (Deceuninck) to sign the very first success of the Ineos winning machine in 2020. Proof that the season has only just begun.
© 2020 AFP