Liège (Belgium) (AFP)
Behind Julian Alaphilippe's brand-new rainbow jersey which will draw all the light on Sunday in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, three other musketeers stand ready to come out of the shadows to end 40 years of French setback in the Dean .
Not a single French victory in Liège since Bernard Hinault's success in the snow in 1980. They have neither goatee nor iridescent jersey but they also carry French hopes on the third Monument of this cycling season upset by the Covid-19 : Benoît Cosnefroy, Warren Barguil and Valentin Madouas dream of conquering the Ardennes.
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Cosnefroy is not afraid of anything
The puncheur of AG2R presents himself with full confidence after his second place Wednesday in the Flèche Wallonne.
"I know there is a possibility of winning", poster to AFP Benoît Cosnefroy, not used to concealing his ambitions.
“But I'm aware that there are runners coming in, like Julian, who will be the strong man. I know the podium is playable and possible. Winning too, but the planets are going to have to be align ".
Cosnefroy had so far mainly shone on the national scene.
Its successes stacked in France (PolyNormande, Paris-Camembert, GP de Plumelec in 2019, GP La Marseillaise in 2020) draw a keen faculty not to let victory slip away.
"Despite his youth, he feels the race very well and knows how to make his efforts at the opportune moments", already praised the national coach Thomas Voeckler, amazed a year ago when he was selected for the World Cup.
His first World Tour podium on Wednesday confirms all the promises conveyed by the Norman since his world title hope in 2017 in Bergen, a year before that of Marc Hirschi.
After 15 days in the red polka dots and a second place behind Hirschi at Huy, this is the "secret weapon" of French cycling, as the last issue of Pro Cycling Mag calls it.
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Barguil is back
Another French asset (re) highlighted at La Flèche: Arkéa-Samsic leader Warren Barguil.
Fourth in Huy - his best result at the top of the Wall - the Breton climber found a second wind after a Tour de France which had disappointed him.
"I am not at 100% of my means. I lack a bit of conditions to play for the win", regretted + Wawa + in the third week of the Big Loop.
The tone changed radically on Wednesday: "The work has paid off and it makes me feel good. I'm happy with the result here", relished the two-time stage winner on the Tour.
"Sunday is my favorite race of the season", even announced the former French champion who hopes to "do something good".
This will be his sixth participation in La Doyenne with a sixth place as a reference four years ago, when Wout Poels won.
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Madouas in the match.
After his 8th place in the Amstel Gold Race last year, Valentin Madouas confirmed the arrangements that he had guessed on the Ardennes with an 11th place in Huy after a "race not hard enough" for him , "too quiet until the final climb," he described to AFP.
Liège-Bastogne-Liège is more suitable for the son of Laurent Madouas, who was also ranked 4th in LBL in 1996.
"It's a classic that really suits me because of its profile and its kilometers," said the Groupama-FDJ rider, 31st last year in Liège, and washed out by the rain.
The 4,500 meters of elevation gain on Sunday did not frighten Madouas, 13th in the 2019 Giro, who "feels physically good now".
Above all, he showed further progress when the road climbs this year, with proof of his 15th place on the queen stage of the Tour de France, at the Col de la Loze.
"I have a Top 10 goal," he says cautiously.
"If I can do better, I will do my best. I don't set myself a limit, that's obvious. But there is a very good field at the start."
Starting with the man with the iridescent jersey, Julian Alaphilippe.
© 2020 AFP