July 14 is approaching and blue-white-red no longer seems in vogue in the peloton. It would even be rather the bottom of the wave. A few wet firecrackers at most illuminate the days that pass on the asphalt, but nothing exhilarating compared to the promises of tricolor fireworks from Brest on June 26. And again, without Julian Alaphilippe, winner at Landerneau that day, who, plume in the wind, tries the getaway, day after day, despite tired legs, there would not be many people to make the cocardière vibrate.
This Thursday in Nîmes, it was the German Nils Politt, who arrived alone, who raised the bouquet, and the world champion is the only Frenchman to have slipped among the thirteen fugitives candidates for laurels. He finished 9th. “I found myself in front when it came out, so I went there,” explains Julian Alaphilippe. In the end, I would have done better to stay warm. I leave juice every day, but I enjoy myself even if there is no result at the end. “
Guillaume Martin in the Top 10
This Wednesday, Kenny Elissonde, the climber of Trek-Segafredo is well mounted on the second step of the podium, but the stage of Ventoux was so dominated by the Belgian Wout Van Aert that his performance went almost unnoticed. This Tuesday, Nacer Bouhanni (Arkea-Samsic), who seems more and more worn, failed in 4th place in the sprint won by the unbeatable Mark Cavendish.
In the general classification, the results are even darker. Only Guillaume Martin (Cofidis), who does not target him, enters the Top 10. He is 9th, but his concern is elsewhere. “The next meeting for me is the Andorra stage (Editor’s note: Sunday) ”, He announces. Will he have the strength? And who else? David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), ill, must first recover his health. Aurélien Paret-Peintre (AG2R-Citroën), Benoît Cosnefroy (AG2R-Citroën) or Franck Bonnamour (B&B Hotels) await rough terrain. They are approaching. July 14, precisely, will be celebrated in the Pyrenees, at high altitude. Will the French find colors there?
