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It is a unique thrill, a sensation that all sprinters are looking for. To be able to benefit from the precious work of his teammates, to launch his sprint, to feel the power, to raise his arms to the sky... Elia Viviani experienced this moment in Cholet on Sunday afternoon. All day long, the team showed a lot of self-sacrifice to counter the attacks and to make sure that their sprinter was in the best possible condition. Pierre-Luc Périchon, Victor Lafay, Anthony Pérez, Simon Geschke, Emmanuel Morin, Eddy Finé and Fabio Sabatini all contributed to this great success.
A victory "that makes everyone feel good"
The beginning of the race was quite eventful", says Jean-Luc Jonrond, the team manager. We started to control the breakaway and each rider worked hard. Anthony (Pérez), Pierre-Luc (Périchon) and Simon (Geschke) worked hard throughout the day. And in the final, Emmanuel (Morin) did an excellent job in the last 2 kilometres before Fabio (Sabatini) propelled Elia to victory". At the end of this beautiful day, satisfaction is the main thing. "This victory is good for everyone", smiles Jean-Luc Jonrond.
Elia Viviani never gave up
This victory demonstrates the constant rise in power of Elia Viviani. The Italian sprinter came close to victory at the UAE Tour (a second place and three top five finishes), and this was his 98th victory in the professional category. It symbolizes all his efforts, he who has always worked hard and never slackened. However, nothing was easy last year during this particular season due to the health crisis which prevented him from working with serenity, especially on his automatisms with his team-mates.
But the fact that he always believed in it and trained relentlessly, especially this winter, allowed him to find his way back to victory. This day also illustrates the great cohesion and team spirit that prevails at Cofidis this season. Everyone, staff and riders alike, are hoping to continue this great momentum. This is the second victory of the season after Christophe Laporte's victory in the Étoile de Bessèges. Cofidis is the only French team to have won twice at the start of the 2021 season.
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