The 72nd edition of Paris-Chauny today came down to a close photo finish after 203km of racing, with Dutch sprinter Dylan Groenewegen missing out on victory by the narrowest of margins. 
 
After being dropped off in a good position on the final finishing straight, Groenewegen surfed the wheels and as the sprint opened up, the 29-year-old found himself closed in on the right-hand side. A gap opened up and the Team BikeExchange-Jayco sprinter came with speed and lunged for the line, but after awaiting the photo finish results, Groenewegen was denied the victory by Simone Consonni, who just pipped him for the victory.
 
Despite the undulating terrain, the one-day French race concluded with a sprint, as Team BikeExchange-Jayco worked hard all day to keep Groenewegen protected and in contention to challenge for the victory. After a hard chase, the final escapee was reeled in inside the final 10km as the sprinter’s teams headed to the fore to line-up their men for the final dash.
 
The second-place finish today is a bittersweet result for the Tour de France stage winner, after consistently coming agonisingly close to victory in his previous four races, finishing in second place at GP Fourmies, third place at Kampioenshap van Vlaanderen, second place at Omloop van het Houtland and today’s Paris-Chauny second.
 
Dylan Groenewegen – 2nd place
“The team was really good today all day, and I just made a mistake in the final straight line to get boxed in. The legs are really good, everything else was perfect, so I am just angry with myself that I made a mistake and got boxed in in those final metres. It is another podium finish but we came to win.”
 
Tristan Hoffman – Sport Director
“We took responsibility today, after we saw Matthews’ medal at the worlds this morning, we said ok, today we really want to win here and not play the game and not ride. 

We had Michael Hepburn ride at the front and the guys managed to stay in front of the bunch, it was not easy for them to stay together, but they managed to get Dylan to the finish line in a good position and I understand that Dylan was coming fast from behind in the final. 

In the end, it is a little bit disappointing that he didn’t win and it was a photo finish. He has been so consistent recently and so close to the victory, today he had the job to follow, and the boys all did the best they could, so the moral is ok.”

2022 Paris-Chauny Results:
1.          Simone Consonni 4:37:48
2.          Dylan Groenewegen (Team BikeExchange-Jayco) ST
3.          Jason Tesson ST
 
Photo: Getty Images