The Olympic Games in Paris will start on July 26th and run until August 11th. One of the highlights will obviously be the road race, although there is still no precise knowledge of the route.
Unusual race
The coach of the French cycling team, Thomas Voeckler, former Tour de France yellow jersey (2004 and 2011), recently gave some more details in an interview with AFP.
“We can safely say that it will not be suitable for a pure climber. It’s not just another classic race or another Monument. It will be a very unusual race”, says the former Tour de France yellow jersey.
“We will have a peloton reduced to 90 cyclists. Large nations will have less of an advantage because they will have fewer cyclists. It will take vigilance, humility and consideration for all opponents.”
Who will be next to succeed Richard Carapaz?
With the race seemingly open and difficult to control, could we find a surprise successor to Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz?
“Why not, but I believe we will still find the strong at the front. We can imagine a scenario like the Tokyo Olympics”, anticipates Voeckler.
“Carapaz was not necessarily mentioned among the early favorites and he was the great Olympic Champion, not Tadej Pogacar.”
“But Carapaz is still very strong. This is very good, since French cyclists are more in this category than the ultra-favorites.”
“When there are Van der Poels, Van Aerts and Pogacars on the field, the pace will be strong. But not inaccessible”, concludes Voeckler, refusing to list who will be representing France in the competition.
“Of course, there are cyclists who are already on my waiting list. But today, everything is not yet determined, far from it”, concluded the Frenchman, who won 45 victories as a professional cyclist.
Remember the road race of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games