The Faun Ardèche Classic witnessed a dramatic finish as three leading riders, following a wrong turn at the final roundabout, veered off course just 350 meters from the finish line. In the confusion, at least two other riders crashed, while Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) stayed on the correct path and powered his way to victory in Guilherand-Granges.

This incident comes just two weeks after a similar mishap in the Volta ao Algarve, where a large group of riders mistakenly took the wrong side of the finishing straight.

The Wrong Turn That Changed Everything

The race followed a circuit format, meaning riders had already passed the final roundabout twice. However, on the third and decisive lap, the lead motorcycles mistakenly took a right turn, leading Javier Romo (Movistar), Enric Mas (Movistar), and Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) to follow suit.

By the time they realized the mistake, it was too late.

“They turned right at 350 meters to go when we had already crossed the line three times,” said Grégoire. “I think they were a little lacking in lucidity. Fortunately, I was vigilant. I knew it was straight ahead.”

Mas, caught in the confusion, admitted:

“Honestly, I was at full speed, I followed my teammate Javier [Romo], and the motorcycle was close, so we followed without hesitation. When we turned and I saw the cars, I said to myself, ‘Ah, we made a mistake.’”

A Course Familiar to Many

This is not the first time top riders have battled for victory on this course. Juan Ayuso, last year’s winner, had finished ahead of Grégoire and Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) on the same track. This year, all three were again part of the lead group before the wrong turn shifted the race’s outcome.

Race Organizer Addresses the Confusion

Race organizer Guillaume Delpech addressed the mishap, acknowledging both organizational and rider errors.

“We passed here three times during this race. The first two times, the riders also went straight at the roundabout. There was no doubt that things could go wrong here, but perhaps because of the intensity and effort, they no longer had a clear picture of the course,” Delpech explained.

When asked whether race organizers had made a mistake, he responded:

“Maybe, but the riders also made a mistake. For someone like Enric Mas, it was his first participation here, but the course has been the same every year. And we are also going to use the same finish during the European Cycling Championships in October. We are not going to change that.”

Looking Ahead: The 2025 European Cycling Championships

The 2025 European Cycling Championships, scheduled from October 1-5, will take place in the Drôme-Ardèche region, using the same finishing circuit as the Faun Ardèche Classic.

With this high-profile error fresh in mind, it remains to be seen whether riders and organizers will take extra precautions to prevent a repeat of this dramatic finish.