Published on : 08/26/2023
Despite the rain that fell on the course in the late afternoon, the Cofidis riders completed the team time-trial in the streets of Barcelona with diligence and seriousness. They finished in 9th place, 22 seconds behind the winners, the DSM-Firmenich team. "Tonight, the contract has been fulfilled," enthuses Bryan Coquard, who hopes to play his card tomorrow.
It's the start of a great adventure that stretches from the end of August to September. And the first stage had its share of surprises due to the vagaries of the weather: the clouds multiplied over Barcelona before the rain invited itself onto the track. This added extra pressure to the shoulders of all the riders, including Cofidis. The team time trial is an exercise that the team strives to work on regularly with the performance unit, and today's result helps to reward everyone's efforts.
Cofidis, an interesting time trial
In the final kilometers of this 14.8 km time trial, five riders continued to work hard. Jesus Herrada, Bryan Coquard, Ruben Fernandez, Davide Cimolai and Remy Rochas gave it their all right to the end. They crossed the line in 17 min 52 sec at 49.7 km/h. After all the teams had passed, Cofidis finished in 9th place, 22 seconds behind the day's winners, the DSM-Firmenich team.
Tomorrow, stage 2 will once again finish in Barcelona, but the scenario will be very different. Before returning to the city, the riders will have to cover 182 km from Mataro, with three difficulties throughout the day (2nd and 3rd category). The stage should end in a sprint, offering Bryan Coquard his first opportunity to shine.
THEY SAID
Bryan Coquard: "With the rain, it was slippery and therefore more complicated. What's positive is the investment and commitment of the whole team to achieve the best possible result. It's a good start to our Vuelta, and that was our objective. Tonight, the contract has been fulfilled! I've been thinking about tomorrow's stage ever since we decided I'd come to the Vuelta. There'll be rain and slippery roads, which will make the approach even more complicated and highly technical. My only desire is to have the best possible positioning at the bottom of Montjuic so as not to have any regrets and to try to play for victory."
Bingen Fernandez, Sporting Director: "We've achieved a very good result, and we can be delighted with this 'top 10' finish achieved by the team. Despite the conditions, all the riders gave it their all and gave 200%. We can be proud of this fine collective performance. Tomorrow, there's likely to be more rain, which will make the stage even more complicated. But the team will do everything in its power to be part of the final victory!"