Slipping into the early flight is a profession in its own right. Our compatriot Gianni Marchand has made it his specialty and was in the breakout of the day no fewer than 16 times this year. “For me, racing is attacking and not just riding in the peloton,” says 31-year-old Marchand.
How is Gianni Marchand?
- 31 years
- from Torhout
- rider of Tarteletto-Isorex
- professional cyclist since 2018
- finished 3rd in the Baloise Belgium Tour this year, after Evenepoel and Lampaert
Marchand: “I don’t like to wait”
His name might not ring a bell right away. But when Radio Tour reveals the names of the early flight, Gianni Marchand is often there.
The 31-year-old rider of Tarteletto-Isorex participated in the race of the day no less than 16 times this season. In smaller races, but also in TV competitions such as Le Samyn, the Baloise Belgium Tour, the Tour of Wallonia, the Brussels Cycling Classic, the Druivenkoers and so on.
“I don’t like to wait. For me racing is attacking and not just riding in the pack,” says Marchand.
“My teammates say I have a nose for the right breakaway. “If we want to be along with the long flight, we have to follow Marchand”, I often hear in the peloton.
My tactic is to keep an eye on the waves in the pack. I try to pick up as a new wave emerges.
What’s Marchand’s secret recipe for slipping so many times into the long flight?
“From the start you should actually be at the front. I usually try to take a front row seat,” explains Marchand.
“It is important to immediately get involved in the wheels. If you immediately fill up yourself, you have to recover from that and you sink into the peloton. You then get closed in. And just at that moment the early flight might come about. can come.”
“My tactic is to keep an eye on the waves in the pack. I try to catch up when I see a new wave coming forward.”
| all races in which Marchand was in the early flight this year | ||
|---|---|---|
| 02/03 | The Samyn | 80 km on the attack |
| 16/04 | 3rd stage Tour of Valencia | 65 km |
| 03/05 | 2nd stage Tour of Rwanda | 60 km |
| 22/05 | Tour of Finistère | 185 km |
| 09/06 | 1e etappe Baloise Belgium Tour | 172 km |
| 30/06 | Kemmel Koerse | 132 km |
| 21/07 | 2nd stage in the Tour of Wallonia | 96 km |
| 07/08 | pro race in Aarschot | 110 km |
| 19/08 | Grand Prix Lucien Van Impe | 140 km |
| 20/08 | Grand Prix Marcel Kint | 165 km |
| 26/08 | Grape race in Overijse | 82 km |
| 28.08 | Brussels Cycling Classic | 130 km |
| 01/09 | City award Geraardsbergen | 135 km |
| 19/09 | Gooikse Arrow | 147 km |
| 21/09 | Textile prize in Vichte | 125 km |
| 26/09 | Paris-Chauny | 185 km |
| Total: 2,009 km | ||
“Photo with Lampaert and Evenepoel is framed”
How does Marchand handle life in a long flight? “Drinking and eating is the most important.”
“I also concentrate on being out of the wind as much as possible in the leading group. When I am in the head, I try to maintain a steady pace and not suddenly accelerate.”
“It comes down to controlling your heart rate and expending as little energy as possible.”
As an escape expert, Marchand employs a calculated tactic. “As soon as the lead of my leading group stagnates, it is better to slow down a bit.”
“The peloton usually adapts its speed to the leading group. It would be stupid to accelerate as a leading group, because then you suck yourself empty and the peloton also rides faster.”
Sometimes an escape attempt pays off for Marchand. For example, in the opening stage of the Baloise Belgium Tour. Marchand was able to catch up with Evenepoel, Lampaert and Ghys as an early escape. It gave him the 3rd place in the stage and the final classification.
“My team had the podium photo framed with Evenepoel and Lampaert. That large frame now hangs neatly in my house.”
Gianni Marchand (right) finished 3rd in the Baloise Belgium Tour this year.
“Nearly 5,000 kilometers on the attack in 2017”
Gianni Marchand takes stock of all his attacking work at the end of the season. “I list all the matches in which I was in the long flight.”
“In 2017, for example, I attacked a total of 4,699 kilometers. That was out of a total of 10,718 competition kilometers. So I drove 44.2 percent of all my competition kilometers in the line of fire.”
“Escape in Vuelta or Giro is the ultimate dream”
How is it that Marchand, who drives so often in the picture, has not yet been able to take a step higher?
“I’m a late bloomer. With the youth I combined the race with sports management studies. At the time I was not part of the talent pool in which professional teams went fishing.”
“As an elite without a contract, I started to win regularly and collected many places of honor. The dream of becoming a professional rider remained, but my age worked against me.”
“I’m 31 now. Teams are wondering how many years I have ahead of me. But I feel physically at my best right now.”
Marchand still dreams of a ProContinental team. “Not only because the pay is better, but especially because I can ride even better races.”
“I am a climber type. Ardennes classics or smaller stage races with climbing are my favorite terrain.”
“Being in the breakaway in the Giro or the Vuelta is my ultimate dream. I also see myself as a good servant if I were given the chance with a ProContinental team.”
Marchand with the Combatant Prize in the Grand Prix Marcel Kint
