As the peloton paused for a much-needed rest day in Toulouse, following the grueling stage 10 of the Tour de France, one name stood out among the French contingent: Kévin Vauquelin.
The 24-year-old rider from Arkéa-B&B Hotels has emerged as a revelation in this year’s Grande Boucle, carrying the hopes of a nation starved for a homegrown Tour hero since Bernard Hinault’s last victory 40 years ago.
“We have one goal, it’s a stage victory,” said Vauquelin on Tuesday’s rest day, revealing his key ambitions for the remainder of the race.
“We have a goal, and we still haven’t reached it, a stage victory. With me, but also with all the teammates. To be in the top 10 overall in the Tour de France is huge, it’s such a demanding race.”
“But I would almost prefer to be 11th after having made a very good breakaway, perhaps having won a stage, than to be 8th after just following for two weeks,” Vauquelin admitted.
“I was hoping to have a good start to the Tour, we were aiming for stage wins with the team and in the end, everything got a bit messed up. It was by racing for the win that I found myself in a very good position for the general classification. It was a bonus,” he added.
“I’m going to race to win a stage, and we’ll see how it goes. Today, I’m still perhaps too close in the general classification to be able to play. The course is going to be difficult now, there’s also a time trial on the climb. If things go less well one day, I might decide to pick myself up, and then I might have a chance in the breakaways,” said Vauquelin.
“Opportunities will be relatively rare in the coming days. Being a leader is always a good way to build momentum. It allows you to be more demanding and have a more legitimate position in the standings. Yesterday [stage 10], I fought until the end because I was third overall. [If I were] 15th, I might not have made the same effort,” he added.
