Published on : 09/04/2020
This Friday, at the end of a particularly animated stage, Christophe Laporte took 4th place in the sprint and Guillaume Martin got on the podium in the general classification(3rd). Now ahead, two days of breathtaking and explosive action in the Pyrenees.
It was supposed to be a transitional stage before the Pyrenees. However, the day was particularly tough with the breaks in peloton and impulsive moves carried out by Bora-Hansgrohe and then Ineos-Grenadier. At Cofidis, Guillaume Martin, with the support of the team, managed to stay in the 1st group. He also passed some important stints at the end of the stage before positioning himself well in the final.
Guillaume got a reward for his efforts: he gained a place in the general ranking where he is now 3rd in the overall. Meanwhile, Christophe Laporte, one of the few sprinters who managed to stay in the leading group, competed in the sprint. He finished in a respectable 4th place, his second best performance after his 2nd place in Pau at the 2018 Tour de France.
It should be a great show!
Before a well-deserved rest day in Charente-Maritime on Monday, the weekend promises to be spectacular with two much-anticipated stops in the Pyrenees. On the program: eight passes to be climbed, four of which are first category and one is out of category. Thus, we will have to climb the Col de Menté, the Port of Balès and the Col of Peyresoude on Saturday, then the Col of Hourcère, the Col d'Ichère and the Col de Marie Blanque on Sunday.
Team bonded to its leader
The Cofidis team has shown since the beginning of the season that it has all the necessary skills to approach these two days with ambition. Third in the Criterium du Dauphiné, the only one to attack during the 1st arrival at the summit in Orcières-Morlette, Guillaume Martin admits with pleasure "to have passed a milestone". Currently 1st Frenchman in the general classification (3th), the leader of Cofidis appreciates when the road rises and he will try to demonstrate his best again
In these two particularly challenging stages, he will once again be able to count on his teammates who demonstrate their dedication and professionalism at every stage. Driven by this sense of teamwork and by his talent, Guillaume Martin intends to keep up the momentum and make everyone who discovers him on the road excited about the race.
THEY SAID...
Christophe LAPORTE (4th of the stage):
"We were at full speed all day long. There was a quick split in the peloton and then Bora-Hansgrohe accelerated. We were in front with Guillaume (Martin) and Pierre-Luc (Périchon) then it split again while crossing Castres. I was feeling good and I gave my all in the last sprint. The most important for us is that Guillaume came out in the front and managed to get ahead of some of the leaders. »
Guillaume MARTIN (3rd overall):
"We were expecting a classic sprint stage and finally after 5 km the race went a bit wild. With my teammates, we remained vigilant and well placed, even in the final. It was interesting to follow, nervous to do but I'm happy to have arrived with the first ones and Christophe takes a good place too, so it's a very good day. »