the Wayfair logo of the US e-commerce company seen displayed on a smartphone and a pc screen.Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images 2024Parade aims to feature only the best products and services Furniture that features rattan details can make your home feel upscale These types of boho-style pieces are some of our favorites to browse for but what we notice often is that they can get pretty pricey Countless shoppers are obsessed with how "fashionable" it looks and say it has an upscale vibe without the high-end price tag This chair features a thick upholstered seat cushion with a matching seat back In total it's about 25 inches long and 32 inches tall and has nearly 30 inches of depth which is plenty of room for a cozy and comfy feel which have rattan panels that add the perfect rustic touch to this otherwise simple chair The frame and armrests of the chair all have a natural tan hue but you can choose from eight different fabric colors and textures We're obsessed with the neutral hues that include two beige colors that look stunning with the rattan fixtures but if you want a pop of color there are a handful of great bright fabrics to choose from Nearly 2,000 shoppers have given this "perfect" accent chair a five-star rating and say that it's given their homes the "wow factor" that they've been looking for Not only is the chair "gorgeous," reviewers also say they "get so many compliments" on it when guests come over and ask where they found this chair you can get your hands on this chair right now for up to 26% off its original price which makes this an even better must-have steal Prices are accurate and items in stock at time of publishing Drivers were treated to an unusual sight in west France earlier this week - a camel eating grass at the side of a road.  The animal was spotted on Tuesday afternoon (October 1) with one driver able to take a photograph of the camel grazing along the roadside in the commune of Coëvrons (Mayenne) The pic was posted on a local social media page along with a video showing the camel A local weather station shared a photo of the camel with the joke ‘Et après vous allez me dire qu’il fait froid en Mayenne (You want to say the weather is cold in Mayenne The camel escaped when a travelling circus passing through the area stopped in a car park near the commune, reports media Ouest France.  The circus uses the area each year to take a small rest before continuing its tour The camel was later captured by the circus The gendarmerie in Mayenne were not made aware of the incident until the camel was already back with the circus Read more: Tortoise thought to be extinct in French Pyrenees rediscovered by walkers Family members argue the money was actually a gift. The courts were not convinced This small department on the German border is home to the historic city of Strasbourg Italian attacks on the final climb and solos into the general classification lead The finish-line photo shows Alberto Bettiol alone After launching on the final climb and soloing to victory and the overall race lead, Alberto dedicated his win and the yellow jersey he was rewarded to his EF Education-EasyPost teammates “I'm really proud of my teammates,” Alberto said after celebrating with them “We believed since this morning that today could be our stage we played it smart and waited till the last climb to attack.” The second-category Côte des Égoutelles lay on the final circuit around the town of Villaines-la-Juhel which the peloton hit mid-way through the 208.8-km stage which totalled close to 3500 meters of climbing With a five-man break up the road going into the early circuits EF Education-EasyPost jerseys massed at the front accelerating through the first four of five laps to wear down their rivals On the approach to the fifth and final climb they’d caught the break and had what was left of the peloton strung out in a long line behind them but attacks were impossible until Alberto went The Italian smashed the pedals for a few revolutions and was gone and time-trialed the eight kilometers left to the finish alone Alberto was determined to reward his teammates with a win for the work that they had done for him “We showed the other teams that we had the attitude to control the race I’m proud to pay all their job back with this victory.” Alberto was 17 seconds ahead of his closest chaser He now holds the overall lead by 23 seconds with one stage to go in the Boucles de la Mayenne Alberto will give his all to wear the yellow on the final podium tomorrow in Laval because we have a really strong team and today we did because I would not be here without my teammates and sports directors and all the staff working behind me We're building up to the Tour de France and the Grand Départ in Florence Expect to see them on the front tomorrow during the final 169.2-km stage from Quelaines-Saint-Gault to Laval In 2022, his first season in the WorldTour, he earned a number of top-ten places. In 2023, he put to use all that he learned from his rookie season, taking wins at Trofeo Ses Salines - Alcudia and stage wins at the Tour of Poland and La Route d'Occitanie - La Dépêche du Midi. He earned the sprinter's jersey at Région Pays de la Loire Tour and La Route d'Occitanie - La Dépêche du Midi and finished his first grand tour at the Vuelta a España. 2024 was Marijn’s best year yet. He won his first WorldTour race, out of a bunch sprint on the fourth stage of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, and won his first stage race, the Région Pays de la Loire Tour, where he also took home the sprinters’ jersey and two stage wins, as well as riding his first Tour de France. At the Tour, Marijn was consistently up there in sprints, duking it out with the fastest riders in the race. He is going to keep training hard and working on his sprint so that next time he can beat them. Jack Rootkin-GrayJack Rootkin-Gray decided he wanted to become a professional cyclist when he was seven. The determined young Brit made his WorldTour debut in 2024 and got stuck into his first year with the pros, racing everywhere from Australia to Belgium to China. Jack brings talent, grit, and pure racing instinct to our team. He had to stick to his line to make it to the pros. He won three races in his final year as an amateur and finished fourth at the U23 world championships. Just a few years before, he was ready to give up the sport and take up a spot at the London School of Economics. A trip to Belgium to race kermesses with some friends when he was 15 got him even more excited about cycling. Riding around tidy parks in England was one thing. Rattling over cobbles at 200 heart beats per minute, chopping corners through corn and wheat fields, and outwitting his wiliest rivals from winning breaks—that was bike racing! And Jack was good at it. He was pretty good at riding around in circles on wooden boards too, but the track didn’t get his heart racing like road racing did. Jack earned his WorldTour chance with his exploits on the road. He returned to racing with new fire. He trained smart and raced hard every chance he got and racked up an impressive tally of results, both at home and around Europe. His ride in Glasgow, on that formidable world championship circuit, proved that he was one of the best U23 riders in the world. Going forward, Jack still doesn’t know what kind of pro he is going to be. Long term, he wants to be competitive in the classics, and throw down with the best riders in the world when the hardest, most tactical races of the season are being decided. He’ll keep trying to get better. He’s going to make sure he enjoys the process too. Alberto Bettiol claims overall race victory Valentin Retailleau (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) took an ecstatic win on stage 3 of Boucles de la Mayenne from the day’s breakaway which survived by a handful of metres as Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-EasyPost) confirmed his overall victory in the race His breakaway companion Gorka Sorarrain (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) took second as Matteo Moschetti (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) took the sprint for third as a last-minute crash involving Mathias Norsgaard (Movistar) in the splinters of the breakaway caused chaos in the lead outs of the finale The minor gap at the finish did nothing to upset the overall general classification as Bettiol claimed victory ahead of Retailleau’s teammate Benoît Cosnefroy by a margin of 23 seconds French rider Axel Zingle (Cofidis) was another five seconds back at an overall margin of 28 seconds it’s my first road victory and just a brilliant day,” Retailleau said after the finish He also played down the impact of crosswinds which were thought to have upset the main peloton through the day.  It’s the latest in an impressive winning streak for Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale I know that Benoît is happy for me.” The race began from the quaint town of Quelaines-Saint-Gault for 169.2km with four laps of a 5.2km technical circuit at Laval The main breakaway of the day consisted of Mathias Norsgaard (Movistar) Valentin Retailleau (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) Erik Fetter and Diego Pablo Sevilla (both Polti Kometa) Gorka Sorarrain (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) and Tars Poelvoorde (Lotto Dstny Dev).  as the gap to the main peloton barely swelled over two minutes.  With only the short and shallow climbs of Côte de la Besnerie Côte de Nuillé and Côte de la Boissière along the route the group had no trouble sticking together on the largely flat course until in the final 40km both Sevilla and Poelvoorde were ejected from the group Norsgaard rode aggressively with a bold attack on his breakaway companions but was caught by Sorarrain and Retailleau before crashing – a disruption which cascaded through the main pack and perhaps aided Retailleau’s route to victory With only metres between the remnants of the breakaway and the main peloton Retailleau’s final victory was the type of underdog victory we often hope for on flat sprint stages but rarely see Results powered by FirstCycling overseeing editorial output across all of Cyclingnews' digital touchpoints Peter was the digital editor of Rouleur magazine Starting life as a freelance feature writer with bylines in The Times and The Telegraph he first entered cycling journalism in 2012 Peter has a background as an international rower representing Great Britain at Under-23 level and at the Junior Rowing World Championships on Sunday 5 and Monday 6 May on one of the trips he regularly makes to places that have a historical link to his family The «Grimaldi Historical Sites of Monaco» association linked to Mayenne, a French town in the West of France, received an unprecedented visit by Prince Albert II. As announced several weeks ago the visit to Mayenne was a first for the Sovereign explained the nature of the link to Monaco Info: “We are certainly honoured by Prince Albert II of Monaco’s visit because it is a reminder of a historical fact and the ties that exist between the Duke of Mayenne and the Prince of Monaco One of Mazarin’s female descendants married the future Prince of Monaco and the succession of the status as Duke of Mayenne was part of the dowry.” Louise d’Aumont married Honoré Grimaldi The heiress of Cardinal Mazarin became Duchess of Mayenne on the death of her mother in 1781 while Grimaldi became Prince of Monaco under the Treaty of Paris in 1814 the Duchy of Mayenne and the Principality of Monaco are united under the same crown The Sovereign began his visit with the inauguration of the Grimaldi Historical Sites of Monaco sign President of the Departmental Council in attendance Prince Albert II and the mayor then visited the Château de Mayenne and its Museum before explaining the ties between the two families to the crowd the Sovereign attended a piano competition where he presented the “Prince Albert II” Prize to pianist Mikhail Kambarov before attending a recital by the prizewinners The exhibition will run until September 27 MonacoTribune straight to your inbox? It's free! Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world Kirk, which has weakened to a post-tropical cyclone, has triggered orange rain and flood warnings for Oise, Aisne and Mayenne in the north, according to Météo-France. Meanwhile, the Loire and Rhone valleys are on alert for violent winds. Text description provided by the architects Espace Mayenne is a multifunctional facility including a large sports and entertainment venue with a capacity of 4,500 a gymnasium with a climbing wall for international competitions In addition to these three main venues can be found other spaces such as partner lounges designed as modular rooms to receive guests during games or shows as well as offices and cloakrooms for artists and sportsmen the project is completed by a 670-space parking lot and a 250-meter-long cycling ring for national competitions integrating a training track in its center alternating between raw white concrete and wool felt was elaborated in collaboration with acousticians or a mix of both were defined: corrugated raw concrete to distribute the sound in the space strips of concrete alternating with strips of wool felt for the mixed areas wool felt stretched with an acoustic mat for the absorbing zones Suspended panels of wool felt were designed for the ceiling A vast technical grid is hidden behind them allowing great flexibility in equipment and scenic arrangements You'll now receive updates based on what you follow Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors If you have done all of this and still can't find the email The flame arrived in Marseille on 8 May after completing its voyage from Greece across the Mediterranean, where the first set of Torchbearers received the flame to start a new journey across France and its overseas departments and regions. 🥇","event":null,"destination_url":"","entry_point_tag":"base","entry_point_type":"instory_campaign"}" data-tracking="click" href="https://www.olympics.com/en/sign-in?entry_point_type=instory_campaign&entry_point_tag=base&template=base&origin=https%3A%2F%2Folympics.com%2Fen%2Folympic-channel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Olympic Membership - Free Live Stream Sports & Original Series - join now the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 unveiled the next Olympic Torch Relay route It will start in Olympia on 16 April 2024 with the arrival of the Olympic flame in Marseille on 8 May from Athens Its 68-day journey will then officially begin taking in 64 French territories courtesy of 10,000 Torch bearers visiting some of the most iconic and historic places in the host nation She clinched gold at the 2016 Paratriathlon World Championships followed by silver medals in the 200m and 400m events at the 2018 European Championship she added another silver to her trophy cabinet after placing second in the long jump event at the European championships; she won bronze in the same event last year at the World Championships Picture by 2023 Getty ImagesManon Genest of France celebrates third place in the Women's Long Jump T37 Final during day four of the Para Athletics World Championships Paris 2023 at Stade Charlety on July 11 Marie grew up alongside a deaf brother and sister and lost her hearing when she was just one she fought to show the world that deafness is not a handicap Marie won gold in the pole vault event at the Deaflympics in Brazil Marie not only shines in deaf competitions—she also excels against able-bodied athletes securing silver in the French championships at the national level and making regular appearances at elite French championships proving to young deaf individuals that nothing is beyond reach Picture by 2016 Getty ImagesFrancois Pervis of France wins heat 3 in the Men's Keirin First Round Repechages on Day 11 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Rio Olympic Velodrome on August 16, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Italian claims his first ever general-classification win with the yellow jersey tucked securely round his shoulders Alberto Bettiol defended his overall lead during today’s third and final stage of the Boucles de la Mayenne the Italian stood on the top step of the GC podium at a professional stage race After his stunning stage-two win, where he took over the lead, Alberto was overjoyed that he could finish the job and proud of the work that he and his teammates did on the road from the prologue at the Espace Mayenne to the finish of the final stage in Laval “I'm really happy to finally win a stage race in France I was really close twice in the Étoile des Besseges I’m really happy to win now at the Boucles de la Mayenne The final circuit was particularly tricky—once they got into the city the peloton faced four laps on a criterium-like course Not content to sit back and roll in as GC winner Alberto went to the front and drove up the pace to bring back the break and try to set up Marijn van de Berg for a sprint win A crash inside the final kilometer scuppered their plans for a dream finish couldn't sprint because of the crash in the last corner,” Alberto said “Still it was a positive week with a nice win.” With the start of the Tour de France just over a month away He wants to be at his best for the Grand Départ in his beloved Tuscany “I will go to the Tour de Suisse in a few weeks to continue my preparation for the Tour de France,” Alberto said I come back with a good spirit from this win.” Frenchman takes first pro win in crash-marred final ahead of Penhoët Emilien Jeannière (TotalEnergies) has sprinted to victory in a crash-marred stage 1 of the Boucles de la Mayenne with several riders going down in the final metres Second was Paul Penhoët (Groupama-FDJ), with Axel Zingle (Cofidis) in third on the slightly uphill sprint into Ernée the three-man breakaway group was caught within sight of the finish line with Jeannière far enough ahead to avoid getting caught up in the big crash to claim his first professional victory Prologue winner Benoît Cosnefroy (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) retains the overall race lead by one second from Ivo Oliveira (UAE Team Emirates) “I’ve been waiting for this win for a long time,” Jeanniere “and I hoped it was going to come this year.” technical and with a bit of downhill just before and a couple of corners I was a bit far back with 600 metres to go and we came past the break at the last moment and I got up to Penhoet and then overtook him.”  A four-man breakaway featuring Petr Kelemen (Tudor Pro Cycling) Jeremy Leveau (Van Rysel-Roubaix) and Antoine Hue (CIC U Nantes Atlantique) made it off the front in the opening kilometres Martin was fastest in the opening sprint at  La Bourgneuf-la-Foret 30 seconds down on Cosnefroy in the prologue  But the quartet's main aim was to build as big a lead as possible which finally peaked out at 3:35 before the sprinters' teams began to react TotalEnergies and then Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale kept a solid but not excessively harsh control on the front having a break ahead with a small gap was ideal as it soaked up all the sprint bonuses and helped maintain his lead on a very tight GC ranking and so it was only when EF-Education EasyPost added their weight that the gap began to descend a little more sharply Martin continued to pick up more sprint points and bonus seconds at Fougerolles du Plessis (km.113) along with the maximum mountain points on offer on the three classified climbs of the day But beyond those brief skirmishes for the secondary classifications  the four collaborated well and with 50 kilometres remaining More and more sprinters' teams lent themselves to a very sustained pursuit notably a very committed Lotto-Dstny and a little later A stage running largely along constantly rolling though and when the break approached the finish town of Ernee for the first time they still had the bones of two minutes in their favour Hard work from Thomas de Gendt for Lotto-Dstny kept the pace high while Martin snatched up the final sprint points on offer when the four ahead passed through the finish line and onto the first of two laps of a 10-kilometre local circuit  Martin finally cracked on a false flat but the trio who remained proved a much more difficult task for the pack to reel in with Kelemen in particular a real powerhouse Groupama-FDJ even sacrificed their third rider on GC The three breakaways continued to grit their teeth making the most of the constant twists and turns in the road to stay out of sight of the bunch and it was clearly going to be touch and go if the move stayed away “Five more seconds,” Cosnefroy later observed “and they’d have made it.” Alasdair FotheringhamSocial Links NavigationAlasdair Fotheringham has been reporting on cycling since 1991 He has covered every Tour de France since 1992 bar one as well as numerous other bike races of all shapes and sizes ranging from the Olympic Games in 2008 to the now sadly defunct Subida a Urkiola hill climb in Spain he has also written for The Independent,  The Guardian,  ProCycling A candidate for the far-right Rassemblement National is under pressure to stand down from Sunday’s second round of the legislative elections amid claims she previously took  a mairie worker hostage at gunpoint candidate for the third circonscription (constituency) of Mayenne in Pays de la Loire came second in the area with 31.10% of the vote on June 30 behind centrist candidate and current MP for the area Yannick Favennec.  regional media Ouest-France went through their archives and claim it found that Ms Bell has made the headlines before - as an armed hostage-taker It reports that in 1995 she and her husband took the general secretary of Ernée – a small town in the department – hostage after breaking into his office at the mairie Ms Bell – called Annie-Claire Bell-Jaccoud (or Jacquoud) in reports at the time (she is thought to have been using her husband’s name) – allegedly hid a gun in her coat pocket before entering the town hall and engaging “in a shouting match” with the general secretary it is claimed she fired a shot from the gun although this did not injury anyone A three-hour standoff ensued before local gendarmes convinced the couple to release the hostage uninjured and leave the town hall.  The reason why the couple took the hostage is not known but Ms Bell’s husband was said to be “in serious financial difficulties” at the time had been forced to close in 1993 for financial reasons Earlier this week in the same department candidate Paule Veyre de Soras said the party were not racist ‘because she had a Jewish doctor and a Muslim dentist’.  a RN candidate withdrew from the second round of the legislative elections after photos of her wearing a Nazi officer’s hat surfaced on social media.  Read more: Far-right French election candidate withdraws over pic of her in Nazi hat Ms Bell was reported to have been charged with séquestration avec arme (unlawful confinement with a weapon) in June 1995 said she would not comment on the claims “until after the elections.”  Her fellow Rassemblement National candidate in the department’s second circonscription Jean-Michel Cadenas added that “[Ms Bell has] no criminal record certain offences can be removed from criminal records after set periods of time which may explain Mr Cadenas’ comment putting pressure on her to pull out of the race.  I do not see how a woman like her could represent the people of Mayenne in the National Assembly current MP for the seat and her competitor in a two-way duel in the upcoming election this Sunday (July 7).  Ms Bell is still running in the second round.  Three rounds of escalating tariffs will impact €22 billion worth of US goods US president said her embezzlement court case was a ‘witch hunt’ It comes as the RN leader continues to maintain her ‘innocence’ and right-wing politicians have called her conviction ‘an attack on democracy’ Benoit Cosnefroy (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) continued his stunning run of results for 2024 powering to the victory in the prologue of the Boucles de la Mayenne Already a winner of the Tour des Alpes-Maritimes the GP de Plumelec-Morbihan and Tour du Finistère Cosnefroy bested Ivo Oliveira (UAE Team Emirates) by a single second in the 5.4km individual time trial Sam Watson (Groupama-FDJ) was third at three seconds The four stage race continues on Friday with a 167.5km stage from Renault Saint-Berthevin to Ernée on a lumpy parcours that should suit Cosnefroy as well Results powered by FirstCycling The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox! Cyclingnews is the world's leader in English-language coverage of professional cycling Started in 1995 by University of Newcastle professor Bill Mitchell the site was one of the first to provide breaking news and results over the internet in English The site was purchased by Knapp Communications in 1999 and owner Gerard Knapp built it into the definitive voice of pro cycling major publishing house Future PLC has owned the site and expanded it to include top features The site continues to be the most comprehensive and authoritative English voice in professional cycling Hirshi wins the sprint for second ahead of Delettre From the trio of chasers finishing 17 seconds behind Marc Hirschi (UAE Team Emirates) finished second ahead of Alexadre Delettre (St Michel-Mavic-Auber93) leaving Benoît Cosnefroy (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) in fourth Bettiol made his move with with 8.5km remaining to the finish across the fourth and final climb of Côte des Égoutelles We believed since this morning that today could be our stage We stayed calm,” Bettiol said in a team press release.  we played it smart and waited till the last climb to attack We're building up to the Tour de France and the Grand Depart in Florence The first group of riders to set off in Le Ham across the early kilometres of the hilly 208.8km stage to Villaines-la-Juhe Emmanuel Morin (VRR) and Artus Jaladeau (UCN) Owsian Lukasz (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) and Jonathan Couanon (Nice Métropole Côte d’Azur) tagged along and the six were set for a full day The race settled into a steady rhythm as the breakaway held their lead across the first three categorised climbs Once at the mid-point of the constant ups and downs the route went up a shorter section of the Côte des Égoutelles (1.6km at 6.5%) land headed to finish circuits The circuits began with EF Education-EasyPost taking charge at the front Soon the advantage of the six leaders had faded from 2:16 to just 35 seconds in the last 25km The final four passes of Côte des Égoutelles covered 2.3km at 5.7% and Morin rolled backwards and dropped from the front with 50km to go attacks by three riders - Iván Romeo (Movistar) Anders Foldager (Jayco AlUla) and Valentin Ferron (TotalEnergies) - were rewarded by catching on to the leaders The carrot dangling ahead was bonus points for the final ascent of the Égoutelles and the chase behind was only 20 seconds back once the breakaway riders hit the bottom of the final ascent Just before the crest of the Égoutelles Romeo was the only man left standing at the front from the break and Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-EasyPost) made the pass on a solo attack with 8.5km remaining to the finish Counter-attacks followed on the descent by Benoît Cosnefroy (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) and then Marc Hirschi (UAE Team Emirates) and Alexandre Delettre (St Michel-Mavic-Auber93) But Bettiol sailed away and the trio were left to fight for the final bottom steps of the podium “We showed the other teams that we had the attitude to control the race I’m proud to pay all their job back with this victory,” Bettiol said at the finish a sports marketing and public relations agency which managed projects for Tour de Georgia a Georgia non-profit to promote safe cycling She is proud to have worked in professional baseball for six years - from selling advertising to pulling the tarp for several minor league teams She has climbed l'Alpe d'Huez three times (not fast) Her favorite road and gravel rides are around horse farms in north Georgia (USA) and around lavender fields in Provence (France) Mayenne-based company V and B will be taking over the helm of the official bar of the Vendée Globe 2024 Three weeks before the start of the single-handed non-assisted round-the-world race on 10 November the 30,000 m² village will open its doors to welcome more than 2 million enthusiasts Becoming an official supplier of the Vendée Globe is a fantastic opportunity for V and B to further affirm its purpose: promoting good times to be shared in a simple and responsible way its brasserie in Mayenne or the V and B Fest' a music festival that attracts over 130,000 people over three days or flagship events such as the Vendée Globe V and B is asserting its commitment to creating and developing unique moments of conviviality: "V and B is proud to have been chosen as Official Supplier of the Vendée Globe at the starting village in Les Sables d'Olonne This will be an opportunity to share with visitors our passion and expertise which have made the brand famous for over 30 years We would like to thank the organisers for the trust they have placed in us," says the management of the V and B Group The company's public and BtoB areas will be key meeting points for lovers of sailing and adventure Numerous events and concerts will be on offer throughout the three weeks that the village is open "The Vendée Globe village is firmly anchored in its territory and contributes to making the event so popular It's a pleasure to be working with V and B a company based in the Pays de la Loire region we're going to make this 10th edition a huge celebration for all the public" President of the Vendée Département and President of the Vendée Globe.  V and B's commitment to the world of sailing is also reflected in its support for Maxime Sorel (IMOCA V and B - Monbana - Mayenne) the talented skipper who finished 10th in the 2020 Vendée Globe and who will be taking part in the 2024 Vendée Globe aboard a latest-generation IMOCA. Through this project V and B is supporting the association Vaincre la Mucoviscidose they are driven by the same adrenalin and the same pleasure of sharing great moments whether on the world's oceans or in the 280 V and B establishments Join them in the race village for some unforgettable moments In the Vendée Globe's namesake department the event is much more than an ocean race: it's a matter of pride unprecedented in terms of the number of participants and media coverage has brightened the winters of the local people the mascot of the Vendée Globe since this 10th edition is a species of penguin living in Antarctica a lost and disorientated Adélie penguin was found on the coast of New Zealand This is not an isolated case: Antarctic birds are sometimes… The 10th edition of the Vendée Globe ends on an exceptional note The level of competition has never been so high: Charlie Dalin the great winner of this anniversary edition smashed the event record by more than 9 days when the town in western France joins the Grimaldi Historic Sites Association For the past ten years, Prince Albert II has regularly visited places that have historic links to his family and the Principality. There are about 100 of these «Grimaldi Historical Sites», officially recognised by the association of the same name, which was created on July 10 and soon Mayenne will be part of the big family Membership “can help create new partnerships be mutually beneficial,” said the Prince in an interview for lamayenne.fr With the growth in membership, a separate Italian section was created, along with a federation governed by Monegasque law to coordinate the whole, and to organise the famous Rencontres des Sites historiques Grimaldi  in Monaco a friendly gathering where the best of these regions’ culture and gastronomy is on display in the square in front of the Prince’s Palace The city and département of Mayenne will be invited to the emblematic June event probably in 2026 for the 7th meeting of the Grimaldi Historical Sites who is also Duke of Mayenne following the marriage in July 1777 between his ancestor the Duke of Valentinois (the future Prince Honoré IV) and Louise d’Aumont Mazarin “Mayenne evokes for me the good life of a dynamic rural community A strong agricultural and agri-food tradition which still provides employment for the population which has played against AS.Monaco FC on many occasions,” said the Prince as a member of the IOC and having taken part in several winter Olympics the Prince was asked about what it will be like for him to experience the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris His answer: “I’ll be encouraging the Principality’s athletes along with my wife My family history is obviously entwined with that of the Olympic Games also marks a family anniversary: it was there that my grandfather John B Kelly won his third and final gold medal in rowing I have signed up to present the medals for the same rowing event and I think other members of the Kelly family will be in the stands.”  Émilien wins the 1st stage of the Boucles de la Mayenne after a sprint A few days after his 2nd position on Antwerp Port Epic Émilien Jeannière was keen to taste victory after a stage that was unpredictable for a long time The breakaway was firstly caught just 500 metres from the finish line before a massive crash which brought down many riders Émilien then launched his sprint perfectly on a slightly uphill section More powerful on the pedals than his rivals our rider showed all his determination to win Émilien has already won several times with the Vendée U but today marks his first professional victory Congratulations Émilien for this superb success Ea pariatur omnis ab veniam quibusdam hic unde soluta et placeat commodi ut eveniet tenetur ut distinctio voluptas qui iure iste Telefónica-backed squad navigate safely through lumpy final stage in Laval take Abarca Sports organisation to 14 wins in the 2023 season It was a trouble-free ride for Oier Lazkano (Movistar Team) to secure on Sunday the Blues’ third overall success of the 2023 After GC wins obtained at the Saudi Tour (Ruben Guerreiro) and the Tour of Oman (Matteo Jorgenson) the Basque wore the yellow jersey of the Boucles de la Mayenne (UCI ProSeries) all the way to the end of Sunday’s stage three following his splendid individual exhibition to Lassay-les-Châteaux on Friday Magnificent teamwork from Iván Romeo -affected by stomach problems before the race which ultimately forced him to abandon on Saturday- Vinícius Rangel and Gonzalo Serrano -6th at Sunday’s bunch sprint- allowed the 38″ gap Lazkano started the last day to Laval (167km) with against second-placed Arnaud Démare (GFC) being more than enough to retain his jersey It’s now 14 victories claimed by Eusebio Unzué’s squads in 2023 12 by a men’s outfit which ends the month of May with four more thanks to the quality of Rubio (Giro d’Italia) Norsgaard himself -he won the GP Herning (UCI 1.2) on gravel roads at his home country- and Lazkano who now increases his promising palmarès to four UCI wins We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings we will not be able to save your preferences This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences This blog post was written by Dorian Kalamvrezos Navarro, Trade and Markets Division I was invited as FAO speaker at Les Camélies the annual exhibit of CAM – Coopérative des Agriculteurs de la Mayenne- held on 9 CAM is a cooperative with more than 600 employees and 4500 active members making it one of the biggest actors of its sector in the Mayenne region After my arrival in Laval on Saturday evening the organizers picked me up the next morning and we drove to the site of the exhibit this year’s exhibit aimed not only to showcase the cooperative’s usual supporting services for its members but also to highlight its contribution to sustainable development.  As the UN agency facilitating the implementation of the International Year of Pulses (IYP) 2016 FAO was invited to the exhibit in consideration of its contribution to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Mr Ivan Leclerc - President of CAM - received me and took me on a detailed tour of the various stands reflecting the cooperative’s main activities and areas of focus The Sustainable Development gazebo quickly sparked my interest It contained information on the cooperative’s various activities such as recycling Other interesting gazeebos dealt with animal nutrition and chemical analysis of soils.  I gathered that CAM is heavily investing in precision agriculture as a way to attain sustainability It is possible to feed animals with the most efficient mix of amino acids or to connect tractors with satellite technology in order to programme the optimal application of seeds and fertilizers for a particular tract of land based on its specific ecological attributes.  Mr Leclerc reported that CAM has also invested in research and experimentation on the best crop rotation practices there was a tract of land planted with various slices of grasses and legumes focused on alfalfa and certain varieties of clover in light of their nitrogen-fixing abilities and easy usage as feed My speech started at 11:00 in a large gazeebo specifically set up for this purpose which had apparently discouraged attendance at the exhibit the event was well attended and the gazeebo almost full I described the work of FAO in general terms and linked them to the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) I then moved on to examine analytically the contributions of pulses to nutrition illustrating the main points with key facts and figures.  I received a couple of questions on other activities that FAO is undertaking to implement the IYP including the regional and global dialogues I explained the role of the recently appointed special ambassadors I was positively impressed by the level of sophistication of CAM’s activities the sense of personal care and stewardship of the land conveyed by its members as well as their awareness of global sustainable development processes I hope that I was able to transmit both the main messages and the spirit of the IYP thus encouraging them to expand the production and consumption of pulses The views expressed here belong to the speaker and do not necessarily represent FAO’s views   International Year of Pulses 2016 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Viale delle Terme di Caracalla 00153, Rome Italy[email protected]  Somewhere ‘in the middle of nowhere and on the edge of everything’ lies a five acre garden which its creators They previously renovated a house and garden in Deux-Sèvres which they had had for over a decade before purchasing this disused farm and its land in Mayenne some sixteen years ago.  ‘Fools rush in’?” They spent two and a half years simply clearing: rubbish We didn’t know exactly what we had.”  What they have now are many garden ‘rooms’ Edward keeps them in check because he likes them crisp.  “I cut them once a month in the season and it takes me a week They grow fast – which was good in the beginning but not so good now,” he adds ruefully.  As they are only there for seven or eight months of the year During the lockdowns things became very hard – kind neighbours came and cut grass but when they were finally able to get back to the garden the hedges were almost touching in places.  Read more: Homeowners asked to pause cutting garden hedges in France Edward has now brought them down to a height where he can trim them “I keep saying we have to simplify things but it can be quite complicated,” he smiles.  They use a lot of mulch to try to keep weeds under control.  “It doesn’t completely stop them but they’re easier to remove,” Edward says.  They barrow on wood chippings from a tree surgeon they have got to know very well the beds get a top dressing of mulch some 15cm thick.  broken slates and crushed tiles are also used as mulch.  The latter in the ‘Jardin des Tuileries’ – the name hints at the humour and playful nature of much of the garden.  There is a dry garden in the centre of what was once a huge barn The roof had been destroyed in a storm in the 90s They removed all the tiles and crushed them for mulch.  The roof trusses went to make pergolas and other structures Then they capped the walls and made a garden within.  There are wild flower meadow squares with purple flowering paulownia trees.  leading to a very private area with sun loungers Edward and David have created a mound from where you can survey their neighbours’ lake and there is an old cattle lane where all the trees are underplanted with bulbs.  By the lake are fritillaries and starry camassias in blue and also giant silvery white.  the bulbs are as big as tennis balls and they had to be planted to twice their depth,” he recalls.  Everywhere there is a play between formal and surprising: hedging and statuary versus the so-called vulgar bed These are not lifted for the winter but rather are given a duvet of mulch to protect them Edward is philosophical about any losses – most survive.  Read more: Gardening in France: Dahlias stir poetry and emotion There is an old orchard with mainly local cider apples and the pair grow a lot of their own produce blackberries and gooseberries but not strawberries.  “They’ve never done well for me,” says Edward “but I’ve a lovely neighbour who gives me punnets.”  the favour is returned as they are renowned amongst their French neighbours for their prolific rhubarb crowns.  “We spend the summers harvesting and freezing we spend winters feasting on summer fruit.”  There are three enormous herbaceous borders and there are rose gardens.  I’ve given David Austin rather a lot of money,” says Edward wryly.  He is now propagating like mad – forty hydrangea cuttings taken in August turned into forty healthy plants before they left in November.  Edward noticed a woman surreptitiously snipping a seedhead.  She was mortified but recovered enough to ask for two They’ve since become firm friends and go and visit other gardens together.  Forming friendships and links with their local and regional communities have been immensely important for Edward and David.  Opening the garden first in 2016 with Open Gardens/Jardins Ouverts was very successful from the start.  The village mayor is a neighbour and he was so excited and thrilled by the project that he had flyers printed and distributed locally Some seventy people came on the first day.  Radio France Bleu Mayenne broadcast live from the garden one morning Edward says he worried about his language skills being up to the task but then relaxed and enjoyed it.  “Opening the garden has introduced us to such wonderful people curious because they’d heard about the garden They turned out to be an artist and a ceramicist who lived in the next village”.  Read more: ‘French gardeners love the Britishness of the Open Garden scheme’ Edward shares many things from the garden – honesty seed heads for someone’s wedding He and the mayor’s wife now compete to produce the best honey from their respective hives.  If you would like to visit the gardens in May, when those fabulous roses and the peonies from the national collection at nearby Château de Sourches are blowsily blooming, you can find the details at www.opengardens.eu David has a website which details his fascinating lectures He is available to talk to associations and groups The Joys (and Problems!) of Making a Garden in France.  Columnist Sue Adams gives her tips on how to get the best out of the long season in France Spring brings the fragrant plant to woodlands nationwide Arvid de Kleijn claims finale stage 3 sprint in Laval Arvid de Kleijn (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) won the stage 3 finale at Boucles de la Mayenne The Dutch sprinter was the fastest in the final sprint beating Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ) and Axel Zingle (Cofidis) in Laval Despite several breakaways across the hilly 176km route, the field came back together for a sprint, with Oier Lazkano (Movistar Team) finishing safely in the bunch to secure the overall victory Lazkano took over the race lead when he won stage 1 at Lassay-les-Châteaux Maintaining his lead through the next two stages he won the overall title by 29 seconds ahead of Démare and 33 seconds ahead of Zingle The final day of the four-day event was held across a 167km race between Montsûrs and Laval.  The stage began with a climb over the Petite Tourmalet and then raced over Mont Rochard and Montaigu before crossing the valley roads toward the final three climbs; Côte de La Baconniere Côte de la Galette and Côte de la Damberie The stage ended with four short circuits in Laval Jacob Hindsgaul (Uno-X Pro Cycling Team) was the first to crest the first climb of the day over Petite Tourmalet solidifying his lead in the mountain classification A breakaway group formed shortly after that included Flavien Maurelet (St Michel-Mavic-Auber93) and Maximilien Juillard and Tom Mainguenaud (both Van Rysel-Roubaix Lille Metropole).  The quartet gained 24 seconds on the field when lone chaser Jon Barrenetxea (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) tried to bridge across He successfully joined the break with 154km to go led the peloton and held the breakaway at a manageable minute The breakaway held its gap across the main ascents of the day but over the last climb of the Côte de la Damberie they were joined by overall race leader Lazkano and Ewen Costiou (Arkea) with Simon Pellaud (Tudor) joining the move just before it was swallowed up by the field with 25km to go Another brief move saw Van Rysel-Roubaix Lille Metropole teammates Celestin Guillon and Jeremy Leveau gain a few seconds were back in the bunch with five kilometres to the finish Tudor Pro Cycling pulled the peloton into the final kilometres on the last lap of racing reeling in late-race attacker Morne van Niekerk (St Michel-Mavic-Auber93) It wasn't long before TotalEnergies organised their lead-out with four riders into the last two kilometres but Groupama-FDJ and Tudor Pro Cycling were also in the mix Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races She began her sports journalism career with Cyclingnews as a North American Correspondent in 2006 Kirsten became Women's Editor – overseeing the content strategy race coverage and growth of women's professional cycling – before becoming Deputy Editor in 2023 Movistar rider takes race lead as breakaway sticks Oier Lazkano (Movistar) claimed the lead of the Boucles de la Mayenne after riding away from his breakaway companions to win stage 2 The Spaniard was part of a five-man escape that gained enough time to stay away Lazkano left his companions behind on the final lap to solo to victory Célestin Guillon (Van Rysel-Roubaix Lille Métropole) stayed clear for second along with Jacob Hindsgaul (Uno-X) Maël Guégan (CIC U Nantes Atlantique) and Thomas Devaux (St Michel-Mavic-Auber93) were dropped and caught by the peloton before the finish Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ) led the bunch sprint to the line in fourth prologue winner Ivo Oliveira (UAE Team Emirates) came under attack by challengers Benoît Cosnefroy and Axel Zingle Lazkano finished with 41 seconds over the Oliveira group to take the race lead by 42 seconds over the Portuguese rider Hindsgaul is third at 43 seconds with Zingle and Cosnefroy at 44 and 45 seconds she coordinates coverage for North American events and global news As former elite-level road racer who dabbled in cyclo-cross and track Laura has a passion for all three disciplines When not working she likes to go camping and explore lesser traveled roads UCI governance and performing data analysis May is the time to put on your curious and sociable hat again and start visiting gardens open under the Jardins Ouverts scheme Your €5 day card gives you access to as many gardens as you can manage to visit Not only will you make new gardening acquaintances but you will boost the funds of important French charities with special emphasis on those helping children You may even want to open your garden and join in the fun yourself Think less of ‘picture-perfect gardens’ and more of joining a gardening community in France Read more: Open Gardens group offers a warm welcome to all volunteers in France Paul Robertshaw’s garden in the Vienne (11 Peussicot 86250 Genouillé; Tel: 05 49 87 28 49) is open Saturday 27 & Sunday 28 May from 10:00 to 16:00 This garden satisfies not just the French criteria for what makes a good garden – perfectly grown vegetables – but is also beautiful to look at Paul has since devoted a lifetime’s worth of professional landscaping and organic growing experience to creating this little one-hectare paradise on former arable land He says: “I didn’t want somebody else’s garden – I wanted space with potential.” so I had this claypan that I was never going to master.” Photo: Paul Robertshaw has changed the way he gardens in response to climate change; Credit: Paul Robertshaw The beds are the result of a great deal of drystone walling experience but since recycling and ‘making do’ are massive themes here Knocking down a piggery or an old outbuilding – or going begging at friendly neighbours with a wheelbarrow – each activity brought a wall slowly closer to completion Throughout this last winter and into February made possible by the raised beds and Paul’s 12m by 9m polythene tunnel Photo: Raised beds were Paul’s solution to poor soil; Credit: Paul Robertshaw “Everything I plant here – except for the vegetables – gets no water after the first year “The 16,000 litres of water that I save in winter goes directly onto the vegetable beds and the polytunnel as a result of the way the climate is changing “Think of microclimates within the larger garden then use shrubs and tall grasses to give more delicate plants shade in the hottest part of the day.” Paul’s unstoppable imagination expresses itself not just in the garden structures which he has fashioned but the garden art which pops out at you from the smallest corner A visit promises inspiration on many levels Read more: Five drought management tips for gardens from a French plant expert Mary & Joël Pruneau’s garden in the Loire-Atlantique (9 Rue de la Bouguinière 44340 Bouguenais; Tel: 06 24 73 08 85) is open Saturday 27 May from 9:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 18:00 Here you will discover a world of trees and shrubs as diverse as any botanic garden and an example of one of the world’s oldest conifers The land was inherited from Joël’s paternal grandmother and Mary relates that although the couple feel they have both been ‘cradled’ in gardens since their childhood when they first arrived much of the present garden was simply a field they took back the field and began to plant trees that grow locally Photo: Fastigiate cedars stand tall in Mary & Joël Pruneau’s garden; Credit: Mary & Joël Pruneau their intention was not to garden the land from 2000 they really began to “catch the bug” going to plant fairs and buying from specialist nurseries in order to plant more exotic trees and shrubs A visit to England in 2008 reinforced their interest and each year since then Mary likes to experiment with propagation in the garden and often makes cuttings of subjects such as Erysimum ‘Bowles Mauve’ She has a propagating tip: replace hormone rooting powder or gel with a little saliva at the base of the stem or a preparation of water into which you have added chopped and crushed pieces of willow stem and Mary describes one of their biggest annual jobs as both “a problem and a windfall of good fortune”: Collecting fallen foliage from those many trees used to create garden-nourishing leaf mould Read more: Why the French government wants you to clear up your garden The garden of Michel & Simone Paumard in the Mayenne (4 Les Baries 53110 Lassay-les-Châteaux; Tel: 02 43 04 04 02) will also be open on Sunday 28 May Michel has been gardening this land of 9,600m2 since 1994 Originally an old apple and pear orchard dedicated to cider production “A blank page,” as he delightedly recounts Passionate about gardening since his youth he began this garden with hundreds of cuttings from friends and family which he planted on the first small 200m2 plot that he cultivated Photo: Visitors love the potager in Michel & Simone Paumard’s garden; Credit: Michel & Simone Paumard Visits to some of Paris’ grand gardens inspired him to plant a structure of very young trees now appreciated in their maturity as a backdrop that encircles a tranquil easy to work and light: azaleas and rhododendrons flourish without soil improvements and should be flowering in May The potager is always highly appreciated by visitors orchard and beehives that he himself finds the most joy Check the Open Gardens website regularly – there are new open days added weekly Follow your nose on a scent-sational tour of France’s spring flowers The French gardener inspired for 40 years by British winter planting Discover the splendid gardens at Chenonceau, France Fontaine-Daniel’s story is intertwined with its constant social and technical evolution “And tomorrow?” asks the booklet Fontaine-Daniel’s endowment fund sent to The Connexion ‘Tomorrow’ could mean a Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage listing for the 160-inhabitant village north of Laval (Mayenne) an enterprise driven by the Amis de Fontaine-Daniel an association defending the village’s history and culture The association set up the endowment fund to give the village more choices convinced that it has what it takes to join the brotherhood of 45 French sites with this Unesco listing “Fontaine-Daniel is remarkable for both its material and immaterial heritage,” said Raphaël Denis in charge of development at the Amis de Fontaine-Daniel adding that the project was well-received by France’s ministry of culture last September Mr Denis said the material heritage was the village’s textile history a Scottish village which also earned the prestigious label He added that the village was also remarkable for having promoted utopian socialism a well-planned philanthropic workforce settlement built in the mid to late 19th century Fontaine-Daniel was founded in 1204 by Cistercian monks at Juhel III de Mayenne’s request who built an abbey and pond to produce energy and offer fishing The abbey was sold as public property during the Revolution in 1796 The abbey was bought by an engineer and merchant in 1806 buildings destined to offer housing to the workforce were built in 1832 as part of a social experiment that continued until the late 1970s before going on to create and cultivate more than 600 garden plots The mill company was registered under the brand name Toiles de Mayenne in 1806 It celebrated its 200th birthday in 2006 and survived the collapse of 98% of the spinning industry after expanding its production to include decorative fabric The workers were able to buy back their housing from the company from 1975 to 2010 The cooperative and social spirit of the mill’s founders never left Fontaine-Daniel and gave rise to many of its most active figures several of whom have managed the company over the years who owned the company from 1883 to 1925 after whom he took his succession the grandfather of Raphaël (the current custodian of the association) wrote a text in 1945 defending harmonious social living the director of New Lanark’s spinning company Fontaine-Daniel opened its épicerie-bistrot-library in 2015 aiming to maintain an active social life in the quiet village Mr Denis is quietly confident that they will be awarded the Unesco distinction mindful that New Lanark’s fate of probable demolition was turned around by the New Lanark Conservation Trust’s intervention in 1975 which led to it being recognised by Unesco in 2001 “What new utopia awaits Fontaine-Daniel in the coming century?” asks the village’s endowment fund booklet French baguette-making practices added to Unesco intangible heritage France’s Cordouan lighthouse and Vichy waters on UNESCO heritage list Cap Fréhel coast in Brittany wins €1m landscaping restoration prize Many remained in France during the occupation With more than one million visitors last year the cemetery is one of the region’s most-visited D-Day sites Explore the rich history and artistic allure of this medieval hideaway The intensity and trajectory of a tornado that hit north-west France on Sunday (September 17) afternoon is being studied A private body that monitors such weather phenomena reports around 40-50 such events in France each year The tornado developed between 17:30 and 17:45 between the communes of Saint-Pierre-des-Landes and Ernée in the Mayenne department in the Pays de la Loire region a tornado and storms observatory (private company) said it had mainly damaged “agricultural buildings” and “the roofs of two residential buildings” It only lasted a few seconds and no one was hurt but Keraunos has opened an inquiry to determine the trajectory and intensity of it 🌪 Une tornade a été observée entre Saint-Pierre-des-Landes et Ernée en Mayenne ce dimanche en début de soirée ! (© Vanessa Glx) pic.twitter.com/8P1ijTMARP Read more: Photos: giant hail, floods, a tornado in Normandy as storms hit France Tornadoes are thought to be rare in Europe with sightings more common in central regions of the US (so-called ‘Tornado Alley’) they are more common than you might think with Keraunos estimating that there are between 40 and 50 in France every year Most of them cause little damage and are classified as EF 0 or EF 1 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale a rating used to classify tornadoes since 2007 In March a tornado registering EF2 hit the village of Pontarion in Creuse Read more: Watch: Villagers record ‘almost apocalyptic tornado’ in central France In 2008 a tornado with wind speeds of between 267 to 322km/h - EF4 - hit the commune of Hautmont in northern France 18 peole wounded and over 180 families left homeless France TV Info reported in August this year that with one man committing suicide after finding his home in ruins Only two tornadoes registering EF5 on the scale have ever been recorded in France What to do (and not do) during heavy rain and flood alerts in France Recent power cut in Spain and Portugal is warning to holidaymakers to ensure they are prepared for worst-case scenario The resort is set to remain open to the public and not only to professionals A policeman patrols to inform people to wear masks in Nice France has made wearing mask compulsory in busy pedestrian streets and uncovered markets in addition to tourists spots in many cities People wearing masks walk on the street in central Nice People wear masks while enjoying the sea in Nice People wearing masks are seen on the street in Nice A man wears a mask while enjoying the sea and sunshine in Nice A woman wearing a mask walks on the "Promenade des anglais" in Nice Arnaud Démare took his first victory in 2023 After a day and a final perfectly controlled by his teammates the Frenchman won the bunch sprint and conquered his 92nd career success He also moved up to second place in the general classification while bringing the sixth victory of the year to Groupama-FDJ A new opportunity of winning should come already on Sunday Following the breakaway’s victory on Friday a real gap was made on the general classification a single objective remained for Groupama-FDJ starting this weekend of racing in the Boucles de la Mayenne: to win was just for Benoit Vaugrenard’s men to do everything they could to help their leader Arnaud Démare raise his arms “The hardest thing was to handle the start well so that not too many runners broke away” “We know this is never easy to control with teams of six riders especially since we also knew that the others were going to let us do today” and it was only after an hour of racing that the day’s first breakaway was able to go clear Samuel Leroux (Van Rysel-Roubaix Lille Métropole) Cyril Barthe (Burgos-BH) and Léo Danès (CIC U Nantes Atlantique) took the lead but never enjoyed more than a three-minute gap in particular thanks to the pace set by the regional man everything became way more stressful with seventy kilometres to go following a big acceleration in the pack “Cofidis wanted to go for the bonus seconds The best ranked overall was fifty seconds down another trio therefore took the lead: Jérémy Leveau (Van Rysel-Roubaix Lille Métropole) Dimitri Peyskens (Bingoal-WB) and Jean-Louis Le Ny (Nice Métropole Côte d’Azur) The peloton remained less than two minutes behind at all times and logically reduced the gap in the last twenty kilometres it all came back together with twelve kilometres to go starting the last lap around Meslay-du-Maine “Clément did a great work behind the breakaway there was first Clément and Lorenzo at work Bram and Miles did a very good job as well Everyone wants to make a space for himself It was absolutely necessary to stay in front especially in the last false flat between four and two kilometres to go in order to avoid any crashes that could occur the Groupama-FDJ lead-out train made its way to the head of the peloton and did not get overcome Arnaud Démare’s teammates set the tempo before the French sprint himself made the final effort in the last 300 meters “Miles took the lead with 500 metres to go and I had to make sure to do a very long sprint,” said Arnaud “It suited me well precisely because it started from far” where he is in good position and can start when he wants” “He shows better his worth in these conditions” the former French champion showed it once again the rider from Beauvais managed to resist to all his rivals to clinch his first victory of the year “When you’re struggling and you’re looking for that victory but it’s hard to do something when you don’t have the energy Lorenzo did a big part in the final circuit and even if Arnaud has won a lot of races in his career the first one of the season is always difficult to get” it’s obviously a big relief and a good boost for confidence Arnaud Démare also jumped to second place in the general classification of the Boucles de la Mayenne on Saturday the goal will remain the same tomorrow in Laval and that’s what we will do again tomorrow” “There should be a new opportunity for victory tomorrow even we will have to remain careful in the event of moves” the merger of Coopérative agricole des Agriculteurs de la Mayenne (CAM) with Terrena Nous mettons tout en œuvre pour rétablir le service dans les meilleurs délais