Experienced rider, former stage winner on the Tropicale Amissa Bongo, in Gabon, the Frenchman Adrien Petit is competing, at 32, in his 5ᵉ Tour de France. His mission this year: to supervise the Eritrean Biniam Girmay, leader of the Intermarché-Circus-Wanty team and candidate for a stage victory. He tells us about the race from the inside, its good and its bad moments, in weekly road diaries. Today, second episode, after crossing the Pyrenees.
The mountain, it wins you over (or not)
There you go, the two stages in the Pyrenees are over, two days in “survival” mode for runners who are less comfortable in the mountains, like me, especially after a tougher than usual Grand Départ in the Basque Country. Apart from the “quiet” day on Tuesday towards Nogaro, the race is very intense, it goes very fast, so I arrived in the Pyrenees already well underway.
Of course, I’m not betting on winning these stages, but you still have to meet the deadlines. We organize ourselves betweene sprinters to form a small group, the group, and that’s no walk in the park. On this 6th stage, we all pulled away on the climb of the Col du Tourmalet and we did the descents flat out, I was almost at 100 km/h on my speedometer. Days like that are difficult, but I put things into perspective by telling myself that I’m still very lucky to be here.
Pogacar, Vingegaard, on another planet
I see nothing of the duel between the climbers, we are not really in the same world in the mountains, I went to the top of the Tourmalet with 10 minutes late, and yet I gave myself. Afterwards, when the stage is over, I try to see some images of the arrival of the leaders, it’s important to be aware of the course of the race to know where each other is and anticipate the scenarios. And then, I’m also interested in it as a somewhat privileged spectator, for example, I think it’s good that Pogaçar has come back a little in contact with Vingegaard, it puts even more spice in this Tour.
Biniam, in the game for the sprints
On the first two sprints of the Tour, Monday and Tuesday, the result is a little below our expectations [Biniam Girmay termine 11ᵉ à Bayonne, 19ᵉ le lendemain à Nogaro, NDLR], but I think we are solid in the game. These are typical sprints at the start of the Tour de France, nervous, chaotic. At this level, with all the fastest runners in the world, it’s all about the details. We have to be a little more precise in our efforts, have a little more success too to win a race with huge stakes like the Tour de France.
In any case, I think Biniam is not surprised, he was prepared at this level, at this intensity. It has everything to shine on stages for sprinters that are a little more wearisome, with a final that is a little more difficult than those proposed so far.
Good memories of the Basque Country
I will keep very good memories of this Grand Départ in Spain, it was magical, the Basques set fire to the roadside, especially on the hills. I found the atmosphere a little less crazy in the French Pyrenees, these last two days, there were a little less people, too, but it feels good to come back “home”, to hear people shouting your name, or encouragement like ” Go the Ch’tis for a northern guy like me. When you are in difficulty, it is very pleasant!
Adrian Petit, Lourdes