Cycling. Brittany Championships: Pierre-Henry Basset on his cloud – Cycling

Brittany Championships in Argol

Because he knows how to control his emotions as well as he runs, Pierre-Henry Basset did not crack behind the finish line. Nothing, not even a tear. A big pat in the hands of his VCP Loudéac partners, several “thank you Kiki” delivered to the address of Killian Verschuren who had propelled him to the coronation, a souvenir photo with Nolann Mahoudo, to whom he succeeds on the list, and the great Costa Rican hope returned without batting an eyelid to the official ceremony where the “Bro gozh ma zadoù” was played in his honor. Which, by the way, didn’t bother him that much either.

“A dream week”

At only 19 years old, “PH”, as everyone calls him at the club, had just had his most incredible week since he started cycling, “a dream week, something sick! as he admitted. His crazy week? Last Monday, a stone’s throw from the family home (Bréhand), he masterfully won the 87th edition of the Grand Prix la Pentecost, the race he loved to come and see as a child and which he was competing for the very first time alongside of his little brother (Antoine), and so on Sunday he became one of the youngest champions of Brittany in history on the circuit (so demanding) of Argol.

“It was already so beautiful at Moncontour but there… In addition, I’m going to wear the jersey all year round, I can’t wait to have the ermines on the Sportbreizh (June 16-18)”, confided the one who, like a wink of fate, had masterfully overturned the junior version of the Sporbreizh, last July, here. “I had driven about forty terminals with a dozen guys in the wheel, no one passed, the guys jumped one by one”, remembered the new Prince of Brittany, acknowledging having thought about this episode before finding the entrance. of the Crozon peninsula.

A contact with Arkéa-B & B Hotels

Back in the small town of Argol, where the thermometer sometimes flirted with 30 degrees, Pierre-Henry Basset maneuvered differently to win his third success of the season (he also won a stage in the Tour de Lesneven) but he still ran super fair.

Long escaped with Adrien Lagrée (Sojasun), the former silver medalist at the French cadet cyclo-cross championships (he has two regional titles among young people) regained his second wind when Romain Hardy (UC Briochine) and his Teammate Killian Verschuren made the connection before neatly lining up the former professional on the home stretch.

“I thought it was going to do it. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t know he had such a good burst of speed, ”said the experienced Hardy (34), quite amazed, too, by the one who is now one of the most beautiful promises of Breton cycling.

This obviously did not escape the Arkéa-Samsic formation which will launch its reserve team in 2024 thanks to the arrival of B & B Hotels. Yvon Caër, one of his sports directors, had made the trip to South Finistère to supervise the young man. He, too, was not disappointed.

Rankings

Elite and Open 1: 1. Pierre-Henry Basset (VC Pays de Loudéac), the 148.2 km in xxxx; 2. R. Hardy (UC Briochine-Bleu Mercure);

3. K. Verschuren (VC Pays de Loudéac); 4. A. Lagrée (Sojasun Espoir-ACNC); 5. C. Poirier (Sojasun Espoir-ACNC); 6. Mr. Provost (VC Pays de Loudéac); 7. Mr. Stevant (VC Pays de Loudéac); 8. P. Thierry (Morbihan Fybolia GOA); 9. D. Fish (Dinan Sport Cycling); 10. F. Dauphin (Côtes-d’Armor Cycling); 11. J. Baguelin (Morbihan Fybolia GOA); 12. B. Gillet (Morbihan Fybolia GOA); 13. Mr. Rouxel (Côtes-d’Armor Cycling); 14. L. Mainguenaud (Sojasun Espoir-ACNC); 15. N. Silliau (VC Pays de Loudéac); 16. B. Le Cam (Côtes-d’Armor Cycling); 17. F. Schmidt (UC Briochine); 18. N. David (CC Ergué-Gabéric); 19. R. Lesne (Côtes-d’Armor Cycling); 20. B. Iken (Dinan Sport Cycling).

Hopes: 1. Pierre-Henry Basset (VC Pays de Loudéac); 2. K. Verschuren (VCP Loudéac); 3. Mr. Stévant (VCP Loudéac).

Open 1: 1. Lucas Mainguenaud (Sojasun Espoir-ACNC); 2. 3 F. Schmidt (UC Briochine), 3. N. David (CC Ergué-Gabéric).