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The teams meticulously prepared the Cholet time trial (35.5 km) on Monday. This rendezvous is the first highlight of the Tour de France for the candidates for the final victory. Even more than forty-eight hours after a crazy first step which, at the beginning, sowed a great mess between the various leaders.
"It is clear that it is very, very important, not only to structure the general ranking: why not already take an advantage over our competitors? Says Stefan Küng. "The ideal scenario would be to bring the yellow jersey into the team. No matter who takes it, in the end we know who our leader is.
The Swiss are a vital part of the BMC training, vice-world champion of the specialty, who dreams of a podium in Paris for the Australian Richie Porte. "We did the reconnaissance of the course last week, we have already set the order of the riders, it is necessary that the team is well balanced," said the former rider 24 years. "My role is to give the tempo. In the end, the important thing is not who takes over, nor the duration. The important thing is to go at a certain speed and maintain it.
When the big stables, which turn like clocks, seek to widen substantial gaps, the most modest ones wish, they, limit the breakage. It's not just about men. The equipment also weighs in the balance, at the time of the final count. "It's even a huge part of the performance," says Jérôme Coppel, the 2015 French Champion, who has been out of the competition for two years.
"I call it free seconds"
"I call it's free seconds. There is no need to train, to pay attention to what we eat … If we have good gear, it's a real plus. The native of Annembade was able to notice this during his career. "I really felt the difference when I arrived at IAM ( in 2015, after La Française des Jeux, Saur-Sojasun and Cofidis ). Its very important. The helmet too, for aerodynamics, the combination; there was a controversy last year with Sky and the story of the Vortex. Now the teams are putting in place to develop that.
A big budget guarantees a machine worthy of a Formula 1: cycling is also a mechanical sport. "Bike brands do not necessarily want to develop a chronograph bike that they will not sell to the general public and that has cost a lot in terms of research. Sometimes, the teams pay, themselves, out of pocket. We must therefore want to do it and especially the means, "says Jérôme Coppel, who imagines Chris Froome and his teammates above the lot this afternoon in Maine-et-Loire. The Law of the Strongest and the Richest?
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