Published on : 08/29/2020
Tour de France is not just another race and this 1st day, with the rain as a surprise guest, proved it again. The Cofidis team nevertheless avoided falls and protected its leader Guillaume Martin. Elia Viviani climbed to 6th place on the stage.
Peculiar atmosphere on the Tour de France. The expansion of Covid-19 has required a strict adaptation of the rules and no one, be they riders, staff members, the public or journalists can remain indifferent to it. Thus began what some have maliciously nicknamed "the first race of the rest of their lives."
Rain, the surprise guest of the day
The race therefore resumed its rights and for this first stage the weather conditions made the day particularly challenging. With a very slippery road, the main goal was not to focus on the strategy but to be as vigilant as possible and stay on the bike.
For a while the peloton had the intelligence to neutralize the race. In the face of nervousness and numerous ups and downs, Cofidis showed a great sense of teamwork, like the hard work of Simone Consonni and Anthony Pérez to bring Elia Viviani back to the peloton.
Followed by an expected scenario, the stage finished with a sprint. In the final, Laporte and Consonni worked hard to position Viviani well. Slightly locked in, the Italian nevertheless managed to climb to a honourable 6th place.
Roll on Sunday!
The leader of the Cofidis team Guillaume Martin finished the stage without a hitch, despite a well-caught slip. He was able to count on the exemplary support of Pierre-Luc Périchon and Nicolas Edet throughout the stage. A last fall in the final made him lose contact with the main group, yet this was inconsequential in the overall classification.
Tomorrow, when the sun will rise, the road will lead the riders up. For the first time in the history of the Tour de France at the 2nd stage the riders will have to mount two climbs in one day. Each at over 1,500 meters of altitude: “Col de la Colmiane“ and “Col de Turini”, the latter is more accustomed to welcoming rally pilots than cyclists. The type of stage in any case favourable to the qualities of Guillaume Martin, who will be keen to honour the Cofidis jersey.
THEY SAID...
Guillaume MARTIN:
"It's a special year and it was a special day. We had hail last year and we had an ice rink today. The 1st stage of the Tour is always nervous. Today it was even more so with the weather. Anyone could lose everything at any time. In any case, it is a promising beginning! "
Pierre-Luc PÉRICHON:
"Today, we took control of the situation, we felt all the support of the public and the spirit of the Tour de France. Bravo to all the spectators who ensured that the sanitary rules were respected. Between the rain and the rubber left by some cars, the road was very slippery. We will hope that the rain will leave us tomorrow! "
Cédric VASSEUR, general manager: “
There is always a lot of nervousness at each 1st stage and we had to deal with a surprise guest: the rain. The road was very slippery. The main thing today was not to be caught in falls. The stage went smoothly for us. Tomorrow, the whole team will show 100% of their capacity at the start line and that's the main thing. Now it's time for the 2nd stage and it's time for the climbers! "