SOUNDBITE (French): Thomas Voeckler, Europcar rider
“All the teams know the stages in Corsica, even us, we are not the most keen on scouting the stages, but we came here in December to study the course. The arrival in could be tricky and dangerous, but I don’t think it will be crucial for the general ranking. However the day after, there will be a lot to lose., there is not enough room for 198 riders at the front, and it will be a beautiful stage no matter what.”
“For a while, the French riders did not get many good results on the GC (General Classification), I was among those who just tried to win one stage, or to sprint out of the peloton. But in recent years, I don’t want to include myself in this group necessarily, but some young riders such as Pierre Rolland, Thibaut Pinot, and Arnold Jeannesson, finished among the first 15 riders at the Tour several times. It is probably a long shot to dream of seeing a French rider win the Tour this year, but over the next couple of years, why not, which was unimaginable just a few years ago. We are seeing more French riders now, it is a better generation than mine.”
