Every Monday,
20 Minutes
gives the floor to a sports actor or actress who is making the news.
This week, place for cyclist Bryan Coquard before the start of the Tour de France, Friday in Copenhagen (Denmark).
The Cofidis sprinter has found his way back to victory since joining the northern team this year.
He hopes to finally win a stage of the Grande Boucle after coming very close twice, including once in Limoges in 2016 for a story of millimeters.
Bryan Coquard makes no secret of it.
If the prospect of winning a stage of the Tour de France does not haunt his nights, the career of the 30-year-old sprinter would taste unfinished if it ended without him having slammed one.
Especially since the "Rooster" has recovered on its dewclaws since its arrival at Cofidis this year.
At the beginning of February, he in turn raised his arms during the second stages of the Etoile de Bessèges then the Tour de Provence and put an end to a shortage of 551 days.
On June 14, Peter Sagan deprived him of a third joy during the third stage of the Tour de Suisse.
🎙 551: this is the number of days that 🇫🇷 Bryan Coquard (COF) had to wait to raise his arms again.
For a sprinter, it's an eternity.
#EDB2022
But the Rooster is back!
🐔 pic.twitter.com/IpaaxmTduB
— Free Wheel (@en_rouelibre) February 3, 2022
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The former rider of B & B Hotels intends to impose himself on the Grande Boucle from this 2022 edition, which starts from Copenhagen on Friday, so that we finally stop talking to him about this famous arrival in Limoges in 2016, where Marcel Kittel had grilled him for "28 millimeters".
How would you describe your first months at Cofidis?
Rather very good.
I have found my way back to victory.
I was not far from winning in Paris-Nice and then in the Tour de Suisse.
I'm quite satisfied.
Can we speak of rebirth after more difficult times?
“Renaissance”, I don't know if that's the right word.
But I'm very happy, very efficient even if since the restart, before the Tour de Suisse, it was a bit complicated.
But it was a choice, with my trainer, to arrive fresh and in good shape for this race and then go on to the French championship and the Tour de France.
The seasons are long.
You are going to compete in your sixth Tour de France.
Is finally winning a stage something that haunts you?
I won't go that far.
But actually, it's something that has made me dream since I was a kid.
I have already finished second twice (in 2015 when arriving on the Champs-Elysées, behind André Greipel; in 2016 during the 4th stage Saumur-Limoges, behind Marcel Kittel).
Including once for 28 mm (in 2016)… I was very, very close to victory.
I tell myself that I have already almost won and that it is possible, that I am capable of doing it.
With a condition such as I currently have, it is possible.
Afterwards, we must not forget that it is the biggest race in the world, the hardest in any case, where the level is the most homogeneous and the highest of the year.
I deal with very strong competitors.
I don't put any particular pressure on myself, even if it's a dream that I would like to realize before the end of my career.
I hope this year will be a good one.
Do you often think back to this famous stage in Limoges in 2016?
It comes up often, and often with journalists (smile).
I was very, very close.
Would it have changed my career?
I don't think so, I really don't know.
But, once again, it proves to me that I have already been close to victory and that it is achievable.
What do you think of the course of this 2022 edition?
Have you targeted milestones?
I looked at the first days, we spotted the cobblestone stage in the North (Lille-Arenberg, July 6).
Instead, I skimmed through the steps, not looking at one in particular.
There are quite a few difficult arrivals, with quite complicated days which suit me well.
Cofidis has been chasing after a stage victory on the Tour since 2008. Does Cédric Vasseur keep telling you that often?
No, but of course I would like to bring a bit of history to Cofidis.
It would make me very happy.
In the absence of Arnaud Démare, all eyes will be on you among the French sprinters.
I think yes.
Arnaud made a different choice with his team (Groupama-FDJ) which was very successful for him (three victories in the last Giro).
He is a very big sprinter.
I will try to do my best on this Tour.
Why not take inspiration from what he did at the Giro?
A victory already would be exceptional (laughs).
At B&B Hotels, a lot of things depended on you.
When you arrive at Cofidis, do you feel like you have less weight on your shoulders?
Yes, clearly.
It did me good.
I do not deny what happened during these four years at B & B Hotels.
I was not forced to be the sole leader.
But here it is different.
We have riders for the general classification and a lot of riders who do well and who win.
The team is not watched and rated only through my results.
When you arrived at Cofidis, manager Cédric Vasseur assured: “Our desire is to support him so that he can regain his best level of 2016 [13 victories].
What separates you from it?
I don't think I'm too far off.
It's always difficult to say as an athlete.
But I came back to a very, very good level, maybe even better.
How do you explain these complicated years?
It's hard to explain clearly.
These are different sporting choices.
I'm not necessarily convinced that I no longer had that level.
Of course, I had a lot of falls.
What does me the most good this year is to regularly compete in World Tour races, the highest level.
It's full of little things that make it work well this year.
More generally, what are Cofidis' objectives on the Tour?
We haven't talked about it too much yet (the interview was conducted on June 21).
We will have two good cards with Ion Izagirre and Guillaume Martin.
We know that the start of the Tour is going to be super complicated, in any case because for the leaders who risk losing a lot of time with the start in Denmark which, I think, will be windy, with risks of edges.
The cobblestone stage is very tough.
I don't know who our designated leader will be.
Will the two designated riders come to play the stages or will one of the two, or both, clearly aim for the overall?
But we will clearly have good cards.
In track cycling, you notably won Olympic silver in the omnium in London in 2012, before being crowned American world champion in 2015. Are the 2024 Olympics in Paris in your head? ?
It's a good question.
I haven't answered it myself yet.
Of course, I love the track.
And the Paris Games would be something extraordinary to experience.
But qualifying for the Olympics has already started and I'm not too worried about it for now, with my very full road schedule.
I'm living a new adventure in a new team, so I couldn't see myself having that in mind.
This year, the important thing was to win on the road, to perform well from the start of the season.
Maybe once the Tour is over, we'll see if it's possible to get back on track, this winter or the season after, so why not win my place for the Games... But it's still very vague in my head. .
What will be your program for the second half of the season?
The Grand Prix de Plouay (scheduled for August 28) is a race that I like.
She may match my characteristics.
Otherwise, I haven't looked into it too much.
What is certain is that I will not do the Vuelta and that I will favor one-day races or small stage races.
We will have to see how I feel after the Tour.
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