Étoile de Bessèges - Kévin Vauquelin 3rd in Rousson
Kévin Vauquelin came 3rd in the 2nd stage of the Étoile de Bessèges, which finished at the top of the Rousson wall.
Photo ARKEA-B&B HOTELS/Maryanne Hinault
On the line
“Thanks to my team-mates who helped me so well”.
“It’s very satisfying to finish third on this second stage of the Étoile de Bessèges. It was a nervous race, with a high level of competition. I’m discovering this type of finish for puncheurs, and I didn’t think I’d be able to progress to this level. It’s pretty reassuring. It’s a good start, because I didn’t break away and I got a bonus, which means we’ll have a good place in the peloton tomorrow. That bodes well for the overall classification. I’d like to thank my team-mates. Everyone was great around me. I was a bit stressed at the idea of going out to compete. But everyone reassured me, especially Simon Guglielmi who helped me a lot mentally. My team-mates did a great job. Hats off to them. It’s more or less the same team as for the Marseillaise, and everyone is there.
The debrief
“The race will continue to increase in intensity”.
“The riders followed the plan drawn up this morning at the briefing to perfection. They supported Kévin Vauquelin throughout this second stage of the Étoile de Bessèges. Kévin finished 3rd in Rousson. He has taken two podiums in two races since the start of the season. We know that the race is going to get more intense as the stages go on, but we’re going to do everything we can to keep up our performance”.