Tou de France (stage 1) : Simon Guglielmi in the breakaway
To celebrate his birthday on the first stage of his first Tour de France, Simon Guglielmi enjoyed a day at the front on the race loop around Bilbao.
Photos Fred Machabert
“I really enjoyed myself, it was incredible the crowds and the fervor along the roads. What’s a pity is that we were never able to take much time, or even fight a real battle in the breakaway for the polka-dot jersey. The world in the last climb was just crazy. This is my very first Tour de France, and I want to remember the positives of the day with the breakaway.”
“The riders respected the briefing. The plan at the briefing was to get into the breakaway, and Jenthe, Matîs and Simon were the designated riders for the job. Simon managed to get to the front for his first Tour, on his birthday. We want to be on a good run right away at this Tour. We were counting on Warren and Clément to be at the front on this stage, but like many riders, they got stuck on the final climbs. But the Tour has only just begun, there’s still a long way to go, and we’ll be counting on them a little later on.”