Published on : 07/09/2023
At last, the riders will be able to take a breather this Monday, after 9 days of high intensity. After a final burst of effort up to the summit of the Puy-de-Dôme, Cofidis can pride itself on being the only team with a French winner and a full squad. All the more reason to look forward to the rest of the Tour with relish and enthusiasm.
The first week of the Tour de France came to an end this Sunday, at the top of the Puy-de-Dôme, in the heat and fury of a crowd more massive than ever. 9 stages have been completed, and the Grande Boucle is decidedly true to what it is: a concentrate of everything, emotions, life, surpassing oneself and suffering too, that we can hardly believe we were all in Bilbao nine days ago.
Victor Lafay's masterpiece
At Cofidis, everything came to a head on the second day. Victor Lafay's victory changed everything, because it made history, because it marked the end of a long wait, and because it allowed the whole team to approach the biggest race in the world with a little less pressure, which is a gift in itself. The burgeoning popularity of the team and the affection shown to Victor and the rest of the team set the pace at the start of the Tour de France.
The Coq's great form
Above all, Victor's success gave the team renewed enthusiasm and the impression that nothing was impossible. Aided by Axel Zingle and Alexis Renard, Bryan Coquard took advantage of his exceptional fitness to join the battle in the final sprints. The "Coq" always finishes well placed: 10th in Bayonne, 4th on the Nogaro circuit, 6th in Limoges. And above all, he has the motivation to fight on, especially on the rare occasions when sprinters will still be able to shine between now and the Champs-Élysées.
For his part, Guillaume Martin also hopes to play his card before the finish. Admittedly, the man from Normandy will have to approach the race differently, as he was unable to keep up with the pace at the front of the race. "It's going to force me to change my plans," he confided lucidly. All the riders will now be able to take advantage of the final rest day. A godsend for Axel Zingle, who has been ill for the past three days and has held out to continue the adventure. Training, massage, free time... An opportunity to get some good rest before tackling the second week of the Tour, and hope to once again experience some warm and wonderful emotions.
THEY SAID
Guillaume Martin: "It was a really difficult day. I exploded, I was already on borrowed time on the flat. I'd had a good feeling all day, but not at all in the final kilometers. I haven't had much exposure to the heat this season and that may have had something to do with it. I haven't been feeling very well for a few days now. I've lost a lot of time and that's going to force me to change my plans for the rest of the race. We'll see how my state of fitness evolves and see what I can try between now and the end."
Axel Zingle: "Given the state I was in yesterday, I really thought the Tour de France was going to end for me. Today, I managed to hang on until the Puy-de-Dôme. Now I've got the rest day to recharge my batteries. During this first week, I've been through a bit of everything. I fell ill in the Pyrenees and it's been three days since I really suffered. The adventure goes on and that's all to the good!"
Bingen Fernandez, team manager: "We've had a very good start to the Tour. Victor's victory in San Sebastian made a big impression and set the team on the right track. Bryan showed that he's a force to be reckoned with in the sprints, taking top places every time. This week's achievements have encouraged us to look forward to the next stage with enthusiasm. There will be more breakaway stages, and we'll be doing our best to be represented and take our chances. Now it's time for a rest day, which will do our bodies a world of good, before we get back to racing on Tuesday!