Published April 9, 2013 12:16PM
VIMOUTIERS, France (AFP) — Pierrick Fédrigo (FDJ) added Tuesday’s semi-classic Paris-Camembert to his palmares with a victory in Vimoutiers.
“Getting beat by Pierrick in such an arrival is normal,” said Pierre Rolland (Europcar), who was aggressive in his final race before the Ardennes classics, which open Sunday at the Amstel Gold Race.
Fédrigo followed an attack by Rolland late in the race, near the top of the Champeaux wall, with 10 kilometers to go in the 206km contest.
“At the top of the wall, Pierre attacked like crazy. It was a good wheel to take,” said Fédrigo, who admitted to having considered abandoning several times due to the poor weather. “It’s hard to motivate yourself and have [good] sensations.”
Mike Terpstra (Team 3M), younger brother of Omega Pharma-Quick Step’s Dutch champion Niki Terpstra, was the last survivor of the day’s long breakaway, and only gave way to the chase on the final climb. When Rolland attacked, Terpstra’s day out front was finished.
In the last kilometers, Fédrigo found companions ready to work in Sylvain Georges (Ag2r La Mondiale) and Rolland, until the arrival in Vimoutiers.