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The presentation of the 176 competitors of the Tour de France took place in front of a huge crowd. The opportunity to see the stars of the peloton before the big start on Saturday at Noirmoutier
"They have crazy thighs these runners! 6:45 pm, Thursday evening, Place Napoléon, La Roche-sur-Yon
Celine, a thirty, is impressed. Like this resident of Talmont-Saint-Hilaire, thousands of people have come to attend the presentation of the 22 teams who will start the 105th edition of the Tour de France on Saturday at Noirmoutier.
In the crowd, bike experts: "Look, it's Arnaud Démare, the sprinter of the FDJ!
Novices too, like the young Mathilde: "I took a picture of this runner, do you know his name?
Or Michèle, a Yonne retiree. Obviously, she does not know the runners well but she loves the Great loop: "The Tour is so beautiful. There is not only the race, there are also the landscapes.
After a general briefing at 5:30 pm at the Grand R, the La Roche-sur-Yon concert hall, the 176 runners started their parade at 6:15 pm
The stars the peloton handy
It takes them to the place Napoleon where, on a podium, they are presented to the public.
The Fortuneo team of Warren Barguil comes under a round of applause. Best climber of the Tour, the Breton is a favorite of bike lovers.
At applause, the Slovak Peter Sagan is not bad either. World champion in title, he is one of the stars of the pack. Just like Julien Alaphilippe, the rising star of French cycling. "You'll win us two steps", launches a fan
But the idol of the day is Roman Bardet. At 27, the leader of AG2R La Mondiale will aim for a new place on the podium. His name is chanted by the public
Froome booed
The Colombian Nairo Quintana, another big favorite of the Tour, arrives. A father begs: "I can not go home without my son having an autograph from Quintana! " He will eventually win the precious sesame.
Michaël, a Belgian who lives near Liège, is thrilled: " We are on vacation in Jard-sur-Mer. We wanted to enjoy the Tour. We already did that, two years ago for the departure in Normandy. His idol? "Philippe Gilbert! He lives 20 minutes from my home! Who will win the Tour? "I just hope it will not be Froome (laugh)!
Here is the British team Sky and its controversial leader. One wondered what fate was going to reserve the public Vendéen Christopher Froome, controlled with an abnormally high rate of Salbutamol 9 months ago and finally, whitened a few days from the start of the Tour.
It is quickly set to perfume. Froome is booed. "Cheater! shouts a spectator. Probably the first fruits of what awaits him on the roads of the Tour for three weeks. If he finishes the Great Loop …
It is 8 pm The parade goes on forever. In the public, one begins to be bored "It's long and it's not festive enough," plague a woman. Suddenly, she finds a smile. The Vendée Direct Energy team is coming up. "We came to see Fabien Grellier. This is our little guy from Aizenay!
On Saturday, the local Tour will depart from Noirmoutier. Runners will go much faster than yesterday. They should swallow the 201 km that connect the island to Fontenay-le-Comte in less than five hours.
On Sunday, the peloton will leave Mouilleron Saint-Germain to go to La Roche-sur-Yon after having traveled 182 km in the grove
It's been 80 years since the Vendée capital had not hosted a Tour stage. The Grand Départ in Vendée, we can not wait to be there.
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