He will be in Brest on Thursday evening during the presentation of the teams. It will be especially at the start on Saturday. Nacer Bouhanni is back under the colors of Arkéa-Samsic on the Tour de France (June 26-July 18). The sprinter has not run the Tour de France since 2017, an eternity on the scale of a career. Arkéa-Samsic unveiled his team on Monday and the Vosges is one of them.
His goal will be clear: to win a first stage victory in the Tour de France. Winner of three stages on Giro and three others in the Tour of Spain, the Vosgien (30) has never been able to do the same on the Tour during his first three participations.
The French team will field two former stage winners, Warren Barguil and Colombian Nairo Quintana.
“The team is built around our three leaders: Nairo Quintana, Warren Barguil and Nacer Bouhanni. The aim is to give us as many opportunities as possible in order to secure a stage victory, without neglecting other objectives as the race progresses, ”announces general manager Emmanuel Hubert.
Due to a stormy sprint during Cholet-Pays de la Loire in March, the Vosges had been suspended for two months by the UCI. The sanction ended on June 7. After participating in the French Championship at his home in Épinal this Sunday and taking 20th place in the standings, Bouhanni is free to start the Tour.
The other attraction of the French team will once again come from Colombia. Present on the final podium three times (2nd in 2013 and 2015, 3rd in 2016), Nairo Quintana will not have a compatriot with him unlike last year. Neither Winner Anacona nor Dayer Quintana were selected. On the other hand, Bouhanni will benefit from the presence of his usual pitcher, Briton Dan McLay.
The Arkea-Samsic team which will participate in the Tour de France is made up of: Warren Barguil (FRA), Nacer Bouhanni (FRA), Anthony Delaplace (FRA), Elie Gesbert (FRA), Dan McLay (GBR), Nairo Quintana (COL ), Clément Russo (FRA), Connor Swift (GBR)
