Romain Grégoire - Just ride

[BR2]

*January 21st 2003, Besançon

Some have hopes for him to be a future GT winner, but he might be more of a one day racer.
In any case he's simply really, really good.

After a "training year" on CT level in 2022 he now shows in his first WT season, at just 20 years old, that he is perfectly able to keep up with the big boys (8th at Strade Bianche). In the past years he has won, among others, the U23 LBL, the Junior EC and the French Junior Championships, but, having mostly done cyclocross in his youth, also the French U23 cross championships.
He's such a versatile rider that he's not only good on the bike, but also on a horse. He had to give up horseback riding, though, to find enough time for cycling, especially since he cares about education and studies as well.

Coming from AG2R to Groupama he's now part of the team that has been quite strong this season. He appears focused and rational, ambitious, but also realistic and eager to down the hopes for a French Tour winner a bit. Where will his journey go? Will Gaudu manage to win the Tour before him...?

A feature about him from Groupama's website from early 2022:

Get to know… Romain Grégoire

For the first time in its history, the Groupama-FDJ continental team welcomes a “local” rider. Not just any, since he is a European and multiple French

www.equipecycliste-groupama-fdj.fr

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

Gregoire is the real deal, no doubt about that. Everyone in this small world of the Espoirs (U23) knew/knows that: riders, staff, managers, DSs, trainers, doctors.

He needed zero time to climb with the best Elite Men, also.

It took ten years to prove that Vlasov is better than Sivakov. Can‘t wait now to see who‘s better this time: Gregoire or Martinez?…

French neo pro climbers are all handsome, intelligent, likeable. Just like Gregoire is. I wish the man all the best.

Groupama/FdJ can be proud of their WT and Devo/CT squads. After years of refusing, now Madiot finally learned that his young talents need approach to best (bike) equipment, best measuring devices, best altitude camps - and also best medical staff and doctors and supplements. Nowadays, no one laughs about Groupama-FdJ any more.

 

[DNP-Old]

Some have hopes for him to be a future GT winner,

I'm curious, who would that be? Gregoire is as if someone threw Alain Philippe in the copy machine.

It took ten years to prove that Vlasov is better than Sivakov. Can‘t wait now to see who‘s better this time: Gregoire or Martinez?…

Lenny and Romy are nothing alike, so saying A will be better than B is impossible.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I'm curious, who would that be? Gregoire is as if someone threw Alain Philippe in the copy machine.

Well there still are people (i assume mostly French) still waiting for Alaphilippe to take another swing at TDF GC.

 

[Tonton]

So the thread exists...

Romain is very Alaf', who himself is/was very Valverde, so is Romain the new Valverde? I doubt it, I don't see him winning or contending in a GT. Maybe he'll get a Voeckler '11 or Alaf's '19 moment in the sun.

Romain Grégoire is super talented and likable. Can he win a big one in '23? I hope so. I didn't expect him to be so good so fast at the pro level. He's just that good.

 

[RedheadDane]

This thread exists indeed, and he got his first pro win yesterday.

He's currently sitting third in GC, but tied with second-placed Kooij, and only one second after race leader Leroux. Let's see how he fares in the ITT later today.

 

[Bolder]

I had to look up his height/weight: 1.77m/64 kg. So he's within GC size...

 

[BR2]

Actually not a bad time trial.

 

[RedheadDane]

And he won Dunkerque.

 

[Tonton]

Wow! Two stages and the GC, five wins in '23, that's so much faster than I thought. Romain is that good. Just 20...

 

[Valv.Piti]

Impressive winning two relative big French stage races at the age of just 20. I see he's scheduled for the Vuelta already, so I expect to see him in a few breaks, and who knows, maybe Julian Gregoire will win a stage?!

 

[SafeBet]

I need to take a look at the profiles but on a standard Vuelta route he's a prime candidate to win a breakaway stage. Very impressive neo pro season.

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

Gregoire proved to be in excellent shape before Vuelta. Even more so, surprising that he still doesn’t keep the pace of the better and best climbers.

If someone would‘ve asked me before Vuelta to bet on either Lenny Martinez or Gregoire for surprisingly strong mountain performances, I would‘ve bet on Gregoire.

But I expect good things to come, still from Gregoire, in this Vuelta. Even a stage win would be no real surprise.

 

[Jan the Man]

No pressure on him this race. He’s already had a good season and hopefully he can find his feet in a gt

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Gregoire proved to be in excellent shape before Vuelta. Even more so, surprising that he still doesn’t keep the pace of the better and best climbers.

If someone would‘ve asked me before Vuelta to bet on either Lenny Martinez or Gregoire for surprisingly strong mountain performances, I would‘ve bet on Gregoire.

But I expect good things to come, still from Gregoire, in this Vuelta. Even a stage win would be no real surprise.

Well then you simply didn't really know what kind of rider he is. Martinez is a climber, while Grégoire is a puncheur. There's been one stage that has suited RG so far, and he did try on that one, but it was all a bit messy due to the neutralisation.

 

[Samamba]

but it was all a bit messy due to the neutralisation

Sure, but I don't see how that was negative for him. He simply already coudn't follow Kron, so he definitely wouldn't have been able to follow some GC guys going for it if there wasn't any neutralization. I might've struggled with the weather tho.

 

[Bushman]

Sure, but I don't see how that was negative for him. He simply already coudn't follow Kron, so he definitely wouldn't have been able to follow some GC guys going for it if there wasn't any neutralization. I might've struggled with the weather tho.

Well, Kron is not some nobody. He won stages at Catalunya and tour de Suisse, was 4th at Amstel this year and 4th in an uphill sprint at the Tour last year behind Van Aert, Pogacar and Matthews. He is very strong in these kinds of efforts.

Also Gregoire had almost closed the gap at the top. He led the group only a few seconds behind Kron but hesistation meant the gap quickly grew in the downhill.