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Road captain of a prominent Cofidis team, with its leader Guillaume Martin 3rd in the general classification, Pierre-Luc Périchon has been keeping a logbook for RFI since leaving Nice. In this third episode, written on the eve of the first day of rest, the experienced French rider evokes the fatigue in the peloton, the form of his leader and the specificities of this “off” day in times of Covid.
The day off is just right
« I’m holding up well, because I manage myself: when I can no longer support Guillaume Martin, I get up to finish quietly and keep my strength for the next stage. So it’s okay, I’m not exhausted yet. More generally, I can sense an already very tired peloton: today [dimanche], we were 70/80 in the gruppetto, with riders like Julian Alaphilippe or Peter Sagan. Their presence at the back shows just how intense those first nine days of racing have been. There were very fast, very demanding stages. Obviously, it leaves traces. »
Guillaume Martin on the podium, a boost for the team
« Guillaume Martin’s current 3rd place is a great satisfaction, but the gaps are still small, so we do not project too much. For the moment, we are defending our position, but we also know that a day without has quickly arrived on the Tour, that everything can change. At the start, we came to win a stage, so if he were to lose time and places in the overall standings, if he became less dangerous for the other leaders, that could also put him in a favorable position to attack and perhaps be slamming one. In any case, this situation does not add pressure to us, our team members: we know what we have to do, we do it as best we can and if everyone gives the maximum, it makes a little less effort to do to Guillaume. On the other hand, it gives us more confidence and it boosts us: when in certain situations, we get up 40 km from the finish, there we try, for example, to raise three additional cans, to do a little more than usually. »
Repos solo
« This year, to avoid any risk of contamination, we cannot find our families during the day off. Between us, we tell ourselves that the first part of the Tour went by quite quickly, but at the same time, it’s hard not to see the relatives, especially for the runners who have children, which is not my case. . Tomorrow [ce lundi] we will do without, we will find activities to pass the time differently. There is an imposed activity anyway: the Covid test. We know the rule (2 cases in a team, staff included, and everyone packs their bags), but it’s not so stressful: it’s just part of the game this year, like falls or punctures. We have all been tested several times before the start, so if the “barrier gestures” have been respected, it should go well. »
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