It was another successful Grand Tour for the FDJ team as they reached their goal of hacing Alexandre Géniez in the top 10 at the end of the race.
Achieving this goal and finishing with a cohesive group with the same nine riders that started the race in San Remo and a tired but happy staff is the sign of three successful weeks.
"I am relieved to have finished," said sports director Martial Gayant. "This last step was dangerous on a course that passed tram rails and cobblestones, perhaps unworthy of a final stage of a Grand Tour. I remembered when Francis Mourey suffered a simultaneous double puncture in the 2013 Giro. I was afraid that the same thing woul happen to Alex and that this beautiful ninth place could be jeopardized. In the end, everything went well and again the team did a very good job for its leader. In the last lap, Anthony Roux and Kevin Reza were still close to him."
The victory went to Keisse (Etixx-Quick Step) who attacked from the peloton with Durbridge (Orica-GreenEdge).
"The balance is satisfactory," says Gayant. "The team leaves the race with a smile. Last year we had three stage wins and the red jersey which was fine but having fought every day for the general classification and achieving the goal we had set is better. The FDJ team did well. Last Friday we finished seventh in the team rankings but we're only 1.23 from third place. My satisfaction was to have a good leader and a team around him. This is not always the case."
In his review of the Giro, Gayant had a word for each of his riders and his staff but he is not ready to rest on the laurels, reiterating that the season continues. This is true for Kevin Reza, Kenny Elissonde, Arnaud Courteille and Murilo Fischer who will be at the start of the Critérium du Dauphiné next week. This is true for others later, particularly in the Route du Sud.
"We can't lose sight of the French championships which is an important event," concludes Gayant. "We have won the blue-white-red jersey three times in a row but the competition will be tough. Europcar will be on home roads, Cofidis will have Bouhanni and Bretagne have a good dynamic. AG2R-La Mondiale have riders who know how to win. The challenge is great and we are ready to take it on."
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