The Groupama-FDJ rider outclassed the two former wearers of the tricolor jersey, Rémi Cavagna, relegated to 24 seconds, and defending champion Benjamin Thomas, 30 seconds slower.
"They said that I was not good enough to ride on the flat, today I proved that I can ride on the flat as in the mountains", boasted Armirail, affected by his absence in the list of eight riders selected. by Groupama-FDJ for the Tour de France (July 1-24).
However, it was not in a spirit of revenge that he drew his mental fuel on Thursday: "I thought about it a little bit but not a lot, that's not what gave me more strength “, assures this slender runner (1.90 meters).
Yes, he continues, "the disappointment will be there for a good little while" but this coronation, Bruno Armirail "would never have imagined it": at 28, this is the first success of this teammate on the course winding, marked by a return to the amateur ranks in 2017 at 24 years old.
Even if the Occitan had already preceded Cavagna, by becoming champion of France hopes of the exercise in 2014, as he recalled with mischief.
In the elite, his progression is steady: Armirail has climbed one step of the podium every year for the past two years (3rd in 2020, 2nd in 2021).
The highest came to him on Thursday, being the only one to complete the 44.3 km in less than 51 minutes (50 min 50 sec), at an average speed of 52.3 km/h.
The gap widened at the end of the course, where Cavagna, titled in 2020, like Thomas, defending champion, fell in pace.
At the second intermediate, after 19.2 km, the trio were still standing in just seven seconds.
"I was coming back to the runner in front of me (Pierre Latour, editor's note) and in the last bump, he dropped me off. This is where it became complicated", delivered Rémi Cavagna, less imperial in the solitary effort this season.
"I let go a little bit and that's where I lost the seconds."
© 2022 AFP