Published on : 07/08/2023
Particularly eagerly awaited at the finish in Limoges, Bryan had to work hard to carve out a place in this hotly contested sprint. He finished in 6th place, his 4th top 10 finish since the start of the Tour de France. Tomorrow, it's off to Puy-de-Dome!
The mercury topped 30°C throughout the day, and the heat became an issue in itself this Saturday on the roads of the Tour de France. After eight days of competition, bodies were already being put to the test, and it was all about staying smart in the final stages to avoid crashes and reduce nervousness.
Bryan Coquard was eager to shine today, and he made no secret of it. His team-mates did their utmost to place him well. Victor Lafay and Alexis Renard spared no effort. Except that on these high-speed kilometers, where tension is at its highest, the slightest detail, the slightest placement can prove decisive in the fight for victory. Bryan was just short of victory. The "Coq" finished in 6th place, the best Frenchman, and retained his 2nd place in the points classification (149 pts against 248 pts for Philipsen).
Martin moves up one place in the overall classification
Well placed in the final stages, Guillaume Martin crossed the line in 30th place. He took advantage of the day to move up one place in the overall classification to 16th, 7 min 08 sec behind yellow jersey Jonas Vingegaard. Tomorrow, the road will rise again with the Puy-de-Dome. Four passes are on the programme, including the final climb. A fitting end to a particularly busy week.
THEY SAID
Bryan Coquard: "I did everything right to the end. I was in Wout Van Aert's wheel on the last climb and I expected him to attack at that point. After that, Alexis and I did our utmost to catch up with them. I lacked a bit of speed in the last bend, so I tried to do what I could but it wasn't enough. I'm in very good condition, so of course I was dreaming of something better. But that's part of cycling and I'm going to try to capitalize on my good form for the rest of the race.