He’s not quite the Breton Wout van Aert yet, but Valentin Madouas has been one of the most consistent and versatile performers of the 2022 season. He showed that he could mix it on the cobblestones of Flanders and Roubaix, the steep hills of the Ardennes and the high mountains of the Tour de France.
The Groupama-FDJ rider performed a key support role for David Gaudu on the way to finishing tenth overall himself and nearly winning a stage. It was a breakthrough year for the versatile 26-year-old.
“I’ve had real results on a WorldTour level, with big leaders and champions fighting for the top races. I feel that they’re looking at me, seeing me as a favourite,” he told Le Télégramme. “My status has changed and it’s a milestone ticked off.”
After challenging in other Belgian WorldTour cobbled races, he was the revelation of the Tour of Flanders, finishing third. After being distanced by frontrunners Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogačar on the Paterberg, Madouas and Dylan van Baarle (Ineos Grenadiers) made it back to them as the sprint started.
“I briefly thought about [winning],” he recalled of the frenetic finale. “You see the helicopter above and you’re going 20 kilometres an hour quicker. I got in front but my legs quickly reminded me that I wasn’t fresh, I was totally dead and that was that.”
It was only France’s second podium this century at the Ronde van Vlaanderen after Sylvain Chavanel finished runner-up in 2011.
Madouas had targeted the race since the beginning of the season. Asked to choose between Tour of Flanders triumph and a Tour de France stage win, his affection for Belgium’s great race was clear. “For the connoisseurs of cycling, winning the Tour of Flanders is a step above,” he said.
Madouas came close to both goals this year. At the Tour de France, he finished second from a breakaway on stage 16, as Hugo Houle (Israel-Premier Tech) escaped to victory in Foix.
However, Madouas showed his durability throughout the race as the right-hand man of David Gaudu, who finished fourth. Madouas saved his most valuable help for the last mountain stage to Peyragudes, pacing Gaudu on the two final climbs to help him get the better of challenger Nairo Quintana.
The collective performance of Groupama-FDJ will stay with Madouas. Finishing tenth overall as a worker for Gaudu, did he feel capable of more?
“Yes and no. Personally, I felt capable of doing that well. I felt I progressed in a fair few areas. The experience did me a lot of good, we did a lot of…
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