They didn’t have time to breathe. Finally on the plane, perhaps, on the night from Sunday to Monday, just a few hours after completing their Tour. Not sure, however, that sleep was very complicated to find, in the calm sky, flying over Asia, after 3,500 kilometers by bike over three weeks …
But they like the others did not have much choice. Their Olympic event being scheduled for Saturday morning, the French had to leave late Sunday evening, barely down the Champs. To then get used to the jet lag, acclimatize to the local heat, and recover a little on the spot. Five days later, Thomas Voeckler, the national coach, believes that “It was the right solution. We were able to take our marks here, in the countryside two hours from Tokyo, take the time to recognize the key places of the course. “
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Voeckler: “I’m not looking behind”
The Vendéen, in this position for two years, had to deal with several forfeits in his list of five riders. Initially, he clearly aspired to gold with Julian Alaphilippe, Thibaut Pinot or Romain Bardet. But the three beacons of cycling have given up. The first because he wanted to devote himself to his son who was just born before the Tour. The second because it is still too tight (injured back). The third because DSM, his new team, wanted him to be 100% at the start of the Vuelta (August 14).
“I would have preferred to have these runners, especially to have Julian, and it is no offense to others to say so,” recognizes Thomas Voeckler. But once it’s done, I don’t look behind and I’m very proud of my guys. ” He thus selected the Breton David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), the Normans Guillaume Martin (Cofidis), and Benoît Cosnefroy (AGR-Citroën), but also Kenny Ellisonde (Trek), and Rémi Cavagna (Deceuninck-Quick Step), who will double with the stopwatch on Wednesday July 28.
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A mountainous course but arriving on the flat
Therefore, what ambitions? “You have to be objective: we are not favorites. As we have seen on the Tour, there are senior boys in individual merit. We have everything to gain and nothing to lose. “ Still unknowns: “ The faculty of recovery, acclimatization, the collective state of mind… ”
The route (234 km) is designed for climbers, with 4,850 meters of total vertical drop! On the menu, three big climbs, including that of part of Mount Fuji after 140 km. The last, that of Mount Mikuni, located 27 kilometers from the line, is the most difficult: 6.8 km at 10.2% average, including four kilometers at more than 12%. The finish will be judged on the racing circuit located at the foot of the mountain, the Fuji Speedway. “It’s a particular course, with a rolling finish, played in a team of five so difficult to control …”
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The Slovenes Tadej Pogacar, winner of the last two rounds, and Primoz Roglic, will be the two men to beat. Also watch out for the Belgians Van Aert and Evenepoel, the Dutch Mollema and Dumoulin. The British (Thomas, the Yates brothers, Hart), the Italians (Nibali, Ciccone, Caruso), the Russians (Sivakov, Vlasov), the Kazakh Lutsenko, the Spaniard Valverde, the Colombians (Uran, Quintana, Higuita) can also compete.
How to run on the French side? “Not like in Imola”, says Thomas Voeckler, a reference to the place of the coronation of Alaphilippe. Understood, the Habs will anticipate more, will be in the movement, and will not take the race in hand. There should not be a designated leader, even if Gaudu and Martin appear to be the safe bets. If gold seems almost out of reach, a medal is still possible.
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