While we could fear the 12th stage, the first high mountain in this Tour de France this Thursday for Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa – B&B Hotels), the Frenchman has once again achieved a huge performance. In difficulty from the Soulor pass, he hung on and ended up returning to the group of favorites thanks to his teammate Cristian Rodriguez. Quickly released from the first slopes of Hautacam, he perfectly managed his effort, taking up one by one the contenders in the general classification of which Remco Evenepoel (Sudal Quick-Step), which he exceeded in the last hectometers. He finally finished in 6th place this Thursday, in front of the Belgian, which allows him to go up in the top 5 of the general classification after the failure of Ben Healy (EF Education – Easypost). In short, a new superb performance for French.
“If Pogacar has already won the Tour? I don't know anything about it, there I don't give a damn”
The Norman made the debrief of his day to our microphone once went back down to his bus. “”Let's go thoroughly, it rolled thoroughly, we arrived thoroughly … so it was not bad! We left Vriament quickly with the big peloton that came out. I really wanted to save myself at first, why I was not in front. But I said to myself 'slim, maybe it's not very well'. Several teams started to ride, it was really, even if it could not be seen on TV. Arriving in the first passes, it quickly parked. The heat has played a lot too. Each time I had a soft stroke at one point, and I came back next, so it's very satisfactory. I started well, a blow of soft in the middle, and it was coming back at the end. On the one hand, it is better that it is like that that just a soft stroke at the end. I fought as much as possible, I was pushed into the headset, it allowed me to go to the end of the thing“, He detailed.
“Double Remco at the end, I'm really happy with myself. I did not drop in my head. Return to Remco Evenepoel is still very strong. Afterwards, I think he didn't have his best Jorunée in the Tour either. I have been resilient, I'm really happy with my mind today, as well as the team. We do 6, 10 and 12 I believe at the top, we were still three when there were only the favorites in front, we can be really proud of what we did. It pushes everyone upwards. Play the general? I will see day by day, there are still a lot of very hard steps. There I fought as much as possible, mentally I will be able to fight like that every day?“He asked himself.
Finally, he was asked if Pogacar had already won the Tour After his demonstration. “”I don't know, I haven't seen the results yet! I saw Emmanuel Macron, I just got off a mountain in 14 terminals in the middle of the audience … So there I don't give a damn (laughs)! I heard that he won and he took a long time in Jonas. He showed his level, it's not surprising I think. But the turn is long, he dropped, he can have one day without, we have already seen him three … so we'll see!“
“I start to better understand the mountain”
Previously, just after arrival, he came back hot on his performance with once again a lot of lucidity: “I really hung on all day long, it rolled up hard, with a lot of jolts, which may not be seen on TV. It was complicated and not really to my advantage, and in the first pass (from Soulor) I started to explode. But Cristian (Rodriguez) did a crazy job to bring me back and we came back right, it was perfect. We saw an Arkéa collective again … We were three when there were really not many people, it was great, they allowed me to motivate me “.
He continues on his management of the last bump: “After in Hautacam, I started right away at my own pace. I managed my climb, at the end I felt that I could put it back, which allowed me to resume Remco. I started to better understand the mountain. I did a good altitude course, it allowed me to greatly improve this sector. I realize that it is above all a mental barrier. hard.he concludes.
