Aglow Tower. First stage: Saint-Briuque – Pluk-el Hermitage (150 km)

Can they hold the wheel of Adam Yates or George Bennett? The runner from Ineos and the one from the UAE ran as an amateur in France at the age of 21 and 20 respectively. The Englishman spent a year at UVCA Troyes and a year at CC Étupes; New Zealander for a year on CR4C Roanne. “They know you have to go through France, explains Axel Chatin, Sports Director of Grenoble Metropole. I get between ten and fifteen applications a year from foreign runners. Here, they rub in the peloton. Camden Faint (20) only ran 2×2 lanes in New Zealand. In the 200 race you have four close roads and small roads. He found. Here, we are 150 in races, compared to 50 in New Zealand. There are huge differences in placement and other areas. »

Go amateur to professional

Lucas Carrillo (20) has no regrets about leaving Canada to compete in France. He is now at Dinan in the N1: “I had a big season as a junior and to progress, I told myself I had to come to France because the level is high. My reading on running is now much better. »

Unless he has language problems, this is not the case for everyone. “In general, a runner who tries to speak French and combine it with great results”, says Quentin Bernier, sports director of CC Étupes. Two foreign riders joined his team in July. “Sometimes they come from countries where cycling is less developed than in France,” he says. So they arrive in the middle of the season, because at the end of the year, the numbers won’t be complete. If the mood and performance are good, we will keep them for next season. We are not just a French team. Our goal is to uncover talent regardless of nationality. »

Two runners from Etups are foreigners in the Aglow Tour: Norwegian John Johnson-Rye (19 years old) and Irishman Dillon Corkery (23 years old). The latter reached N2 last year at VC Toucy: “It is not possible to go professional on the World Tour in Ireland. There are a hundred people here who will turn professional in five years, while in Ireland there are only two or three. The French team has a good future!

Classification of the first stage

1. John Rye Johnsen (CC Etupes) 150 km 3h21’38”; 2. Clement Alleno (Dinan) 0”; 3. Maxim Joly (Lokmin OC); 4. Antoine AB (Charvieu); 5. Alex Haynes (Blagnac); 6. Nicolas Silio (UC Briochin); 7. Lillian Langella (Blagnac); 8. Nathan Le Pioffe (Sojasun); 9. Ryan Lacheny (Ocean Top 16); 10. Thibaud Briden (Cholet) TMT.