Tour de France: “We don't set a goal for the general classification”, the French, in the shadow of the big names, are aiming for stage victories

Romain Bardet disputera son dernier Tour de France. MAXPPP – Jérémie FULLERINGER

Depuis Bernard Hinault en 1985, les Français n'ont plus gagné la Grande Boucle.  

The last French winner of the Tour de France, in 1985, Bernard Hinault should still have no successor this summer: the French will be aiming more than ever for stage victories if they are unable to compete for the general classification. At the top of the cycling pyramid, the view seems blocked with phenomena like Pogacar, Evenepoel, Vingegaard and Roglic, who evolve one or even several notches above all the others.

Gaudu and Martin aim for the first ten places

David Gaudu, 4th in 2023 and 9th last year, as well as Guillaume Martin, 10th in 2023, are part of a second curtain, in the middle of' around ten other runners, capable of aiming for places between 8 and 12 but not much better, especially since the first was weakened last week by Covid.

David Gaudu is the central element of our team but the other seven riders are ready to play for stage victories

The Groupama-FDJ climber has other objectives this year anyway. "We don't set an objective for general ranking", he said at the start of the month. "I want to run more liberated, added the Breton. I will have fewer teammates with me because the team will also want to win stages, this hasn't happened since 2019 and the victory of Thibaut Pinot, now retired, at the summit of Tourmalet. "David Gaudu is the central element of our team but the other seven riders are ready to play for stage victories. Romain Grégoire, Valentin Madouas, Lenny Martinez and Stefan Küng will all find grounds where they can play their cards", confirms the sports director, Benoît Vaugrenard.

The "der" by Bardet

The observation also applies to Guillaume Martin's Cofidis team which will first aim for a stage victory with sprinter Bryan Coquard or puncher Axel Zingle. The main French chance in the general for ten years, Romain Bardet, second in 2016 and third the following year, also has, for his last Tour de France, "desire to& #39;take off the blinders" and seek pleasure in one-day sex."I searched for ten years for consistency on the Tour. Now, it will really be with a view to giving 105% one day, and perhaps finding myself in the gruppetto other days. Because I know what my body can give, the current level too", explains the 33-year-old Auvergnat, winner of three stages on the Tour.

A "Bardet bend", like the Pinot bend last year, is planned in the Col du Pas de Peyrol during the 11th stage , in Cantal, to celebrate his rich career. Playing since 2021 in the Dutch team DSM, this year he has seen the reinforcement of Warren Barguil who has long since abandoned the idea of ​​playing in the general, after two 10th places in 2017 and 2019. He will also aim for a third stage victory on the Grande Boucle.

The hype team of the season, Décathlon-AG2R La Mondiale, aligns an Austrian leader for the general (Felix Gall) and an Irish sprinter (Sam Bennett) to win "at minus one step". But adventurer-punchers like Nans Peters, Dorian Godon and especially the new French champion Paul Lapeira also hope to score.

July 8: the list of the French selection for the Olympics

Arkéa-B&B Hotels is pursuing the same objective with a veteran, the sprinter Arnaud Démare, and a young one, Kévin Vauquelin. In the foreign teams, in the absence of Julian Alaphilippe, already focused on the Paris Olympic Games, Christophe Laporte will first be in support of his leaders Jonas Vingegaard and Wout Van Aert but will perhaps be able to take advantage of an opening like in Cahors in 2022, where he was the only French stage winner.

Same story for Axel Laurance, U23 world champion, who will ride for Jasper Philipsen and Mathieu van der Poel at Alpecin but has the potential to raise his arms from his first participation. Beyond the Tour, the prospect of the Olympics spices up the debates and a coup in the first week could still tip the scales in the eyes of Thomas Voeckler.

The coach will follow the race daily on the France Télévisons motorcycle and will give his list of four riders during the first rest day, July 8 in Orléans.