A few years ago, when he was still a bicycle salesman in a large brand in Bourgoin-Jallieu, he would never have imagined finding himself in the midst of the commotion of a great departure du Tour, with a huge audience and press conferences with great fanfare. ” On the Vuelta or the Giro, we did small conferences in video and in ten minutes we had gone around the question “having fun by the way Geoffrey Bouchard on the eve of taking the start of the biggest race in the world.
” Not a gifted, but on the other hand I arrive at my objectives” Geoffrey Bouchard before his first Tour de France
For the 30-year-old climber: be present at Copenhagen is both a victory, but it is also logical. Because if Geoffrey Bouchard made his way in the pro world late, he proved that he had the level by winning, for example, this year his first race on the Tour of the Alps. ” Five years ago I was still an amateur, so to have won my first race and find myself at the start of the Tour at the age of 30 is a culmination, I have had several lives in one, in a way! VSit proves my tenacity, I take time to do things, I’m not gifted but on the other hand I achieve my goals ” smiles again the rider of AG2R Citroën, his team which should leave him some liberties on this Tour de France.
A new best climber’s jersey would be historic
Geoffrey Bouchard is not a neophyte on the big tours, he has already participated in the Vuelta and the Giro, each time with success since he brought back in 2019 from Italy and in 2021 from Spain two best climber jerseys. If he returned to Paris with the famous jersey at weight, he could become the first Frenchman to have a complete collection of “best climber” on the three grand tours ” only two riders have done it, Herrera and Bahamontes ” notes the Isérois who is well aware of the story but not obsessed with this classification. He simply hopes to help his leader Ben O’connor and play his card on some good stages.
A first week full of pitfalls
But before taking to their heels and fight in the passes from the Alps or the Pyrenees, Geoffrey Bouchard will already have to spend a first week that many runners dread. ” Every day there will be tension. There will be the cobblestone stage, the wind stage, we will have to slip through the cracks “Sleeps and already warns the Voironnais installed in Aix-les-Bains, who will start this Friday at 5:24 p.m. precisely with bib 32 on the inaugural time trial in the streets of Copenhagen.