The Faun Dr\u00f4me Classic had a thrilling finale \u2014 Romain Gr\u00e9goire came out on top after a tense duel with Matteo Jorgenson in the final kilometres. A select group was hot on their heels on the last narrow, steep pitch, but Gr\u00e9goire made his move with 200 m to go, taking the win, with the American just hanging on for second ahead of a surging Lenny Martinez.<\/p>\n
Walton on the move<\/p>\n
Earlier, though, it was once again Canadian Jonas Walton (CIC Pro Cycling Academy)<\/a> animating the race with his third long breakaway in as many weeks. On Saturday, the chrono specialist spent just under 100 km off the front, 99 km in total, before being caught. A week earlier, at Classic Var, he was away for 137 km before being reeled in with just five to go. At the Tour de la Provence, he logged 120 km out front. But Saturday, he said, was different.<\/p>\n \u201cIt felt like another level I\u2019ve never been in before. I was pushing hard on the front, but it seemed just as hard on the wheels,\u201d he said. \u201cBut it was a good learning experience and I am eager to try it again.\u201d<\/p>\n Big gear king<\/p>\n The 21-year-old, son of Olympic silver medallist Brian and masters world champion Dana, said he seems to have inherited something that may be a blessing or a curse.<\/p>\n \u201cMy coach is giving me leg-speed workouts on my easy days and it\u2019s still low,\u201d he said. \u201cMy dad calls it the Walton curse.\u201d<\/p>\n (As an aside, for someone who rode a lot with\u2026erm, behind, Jonas\u2019s dad, it\u2019s true the former pro pushed very big gears. But he was also very, very fast<\/a>.)<\/p>\n The race gradually wore down the field over a relentless series of climbs, but it was the steep Mur d\u2019Allex that truly split things apart. Gr\u00e9goire and Jorgenson accelerated together on the 600-m wall (on a very narrow road), quickly opening a meaningful gap as hesitation stalled the chase behind.<\/p>\n