French talents return to the top of the UCI Junior Nations’ Cup

French Juniors collectively dominated the 2022 standings of the UCI Nations’ Cup, claiming a fourth overall victory in the series, the first since 2014.

French talent development can still rule the world. Eight years after their last victory, the little “Bleus” dominated the 2022 UCI Junior Nations’ Cup with 180 points accumulated across ten events held in nine countries between March and the end of August.

Italy’s Thomas Capra successfully kicked off the season on the iconic Belgian roads of Gent-Wevelgem / Grote Prijs A. Noyelle-Ieper. Dutch riders wrapped it up in spectacular fashion with Max van der Meulen and Menno Huising powering to a 1-2 in the Korean event Tour de DMZ, where the Netherlands won five stages out of five.

The Oranje finished strong but it was too little, too late to overthrow the French, who took the final victory ahead of Belgium (164 points) and Norway (138 points).

Gruel leads the French way

Following Capra’s victory in Wevelgem, France’s first podium came on home soil, when Léandre Louzouet finished 3rd in Paris-Roubaix Juniors, won by Luxembourg’s giant Niels Michotte (1m90).

After the two opening Classics of the series, the stage races of the UCI Junior Nations’ Cup were the opportunity for the Frenchmen to rack up points. Thibaud Gruel was the most successful, contributing 50 points on his own.

The French Junior National Individual Time Trial (ITT) Champion notably finished 2nd in the LVM Saarland Trofeo (Germany), won by Luxembourg’s Mathieu Kockelmann, while Norway’s Jørgen Nordhagen came 3rd, the same spot he claimed in the Course de la Paix Juniors (Czech Republic) - won by Germany’s rising talent Emil Herzog, who recently showed his versatility in the 2022 UCI MTB World Championships (6th).

French expertise

France’s Estevan Delaunay also displayed his talent and expertise when he won stage 2 of the Watersley Junior Challenge (the Netherlands), in the Tom Dumoulin Park, becoming the first French rider to win an ITT in the UCI Junior Nations’ Cup since Pierre-Henri Lecuisinier in the Trofeo Karlsberg 2011.

Delaunay keeps rising through the ranks after winning the Trophée Madiot in 2020, an U17 French series that allows youngsters to develop their skills with a handful of ITTs, including in the prestigious Chrono des Nations, among many other challenges throughout the season.

The 10 events of the 2022 UCI Junior Nations’ Cup saw winners from nine different nations, with the Dutchman Max van der Meulen being the only rider to take the final victory in two events, as he won the Watersley Junior Challenge (already ahead of Menno Huising) before the Oranje dynamic duo repeated their 1-2 in the Tour de DMZ.

France’s victory came in the Tour de l’Abitibi (in Canada), where Lucas Mainguenaud led a 1-2-3 ahead of his compatriots Mathieu Dupe and Mathéro Barusseau.

Christen, Verbrugghe, Morgado... Impressive talents attract the biggest teams

Three more events were held in Europe. Switzerland’s Jan Christen impressed on home soil, winning the Tour du Pays de Vaud after he turned the race upside down on the final stage set around Aigle.

The 18-year-old wonderkid is another versatile talent, who claimed a rainbow jersey in January, crowned cyclo-cross Junior UCI World Champion, in Fayetteville (USA). Currently racing with Tadej Pogačar’s “Pogi Team”, he already has an agreement until 2027 with the UCI WorldTeam UAE Team Emirates.

The Belgian Jens Verbrugghe, Rik’s son, is another sought-after talent, especially after winning the Trophée Centre Morbihan ahead of Portugal’s António Morgado (road race and ITT National Champion this year, joining Hagens Berman Axeon in 2023). Verbrugghe will ride for Groupama-FDJ’s development team next year.

As for the One Belt One Road Nation’s Cup Hungary, it saw Poland’s Hubert Grygowski crowned as the second winner of the event after Per Strande Hagenes (the 2021 Junior UCI World Champion) won the inaugural edition in 2021.

After they displayed their talent all year long, the best Junior riders from around the planet are now gearing up for the UCI Road World Championships, in Wollongong (Australia). They will battle for rainbow jerseys in the individual time trial on Tuesday 20 September and in the road race three days later, on Friday 23 September.