TOUR DE FRANCE
THE INCREDIBLE COLLECTIVE FIGHT 
OF COFIDIS

During the fastest Tour de France in history, the team from the north of France resisted everything and showed a great sense of commitment and teamwork. The battle to keep the polka-dot jersey, Benjamin Thomas' second place in Carcassonne, Anthony Pérez's combativity award... A look back at these 21 high-profile stages in photos.

© Photo Mathilde L'Azou / Team Cofidis

Simon Geschke and the Polka Dot Jersey, 
the symbol of a strong team 

For nine stages, Simon Geschke was in the lead  in the mountain classification. Nine stages in which the German rider was able to benefit from all the solidarity and the collective spirit of his teammates to keep the jersey: first in the Alps and then in the descent to the south until the Pyrenees. He thus became the German who has worn this distinctive jersey the longest time in the history of the Tour de France. It was not until the last mountain stage to Hautacam that he lost the lead in this classification. But there are no regrets - the leader of this Tour de France, Jonas Vingegaard, was ahead of him. As a sort of compensation, Simon was able to wear this tunic all the way to the Champs-Élysées, as the Danish rider also had the yellow jersey.

Benjamin Thomas, 
so close to the goal

A finish in Carcassonne, in the heat at the end of a day where the sprinters' teams wanted to make their mark. Except that Benjamin Thomas decided to play his own game. With 48 kilometers to go, he made an attack, not far from his family home in Tarn, he broke away for a while with another rider and then held on, alone. The kilometers went by, he passed the red flag... Still alone. The hope was there but the body suffered, Benjamin gave it everything he could, but ended up being caught 400 meters from the finish line. One week earlier, in Lausanne, he had already taken the 7th place. This was enough to make him one of the great animators of this Tour de France, even though he was participating for the first time in his career.

Anthony Perez, 
the beautiful breakaway

Anthony Pérez is used to riding at the front of the race. He demonstrated this once between Dunkerque and Calais (5th stage, 171.5 km) where he initiated the breakaway before it was caught with about ten kilometers to go. The rider from Toulouse won the prize for combativity, the first official podium for a Cofidis rider in this Tour de France.  

Eight stages later, on the national holiday, 'Antho' was still on the attack. He took the lead on the mythical Col du Galibier and helped protect Simon Geschke's polka dot jersey (see also).

An unforgiving Tour de France

The increase of Covid-19 cases did not spare the peloton, nor the Cofidis team. Even before the start, Bryan Coquard, a major player in the sprints, had to leave the Tour de France. In Lausanne, it was the team leader Guillaume Martin, who was contaminated - he was then 14th in the general classification. Then in Carcassonne, Max Walscheid could not start for the same reasons. Throughout the Grande Boucle, the Cofidis team has been committed to strengthening its sanitary measures as much as possible and to protect the physical well-being of its riders and, consequently, of their colleagues in the peloton. 

The team also had to cope with the departure of Victor Lafay, who was making his debut on the Tour de France roads and who dropped out between Bourg d'Oisans and Saint-Étienne. These four riders who could not make it to the end have already resumed training. And they will do everything to succeed in their second part of the season and offer the team great sporting emotions.

Tour de France femme avec Zwift,
a historic first day

This Sunday will remain for a long time as the day when the women's cycling entered a new dimension. At the beginning of the afternoon, 144 riders started this first prestigious stage between the Eiffel Tower and the Champs-Élysées. A great first round and a great moment for the Cofidis team, formed at the beginning of the season. This day had some twists, the fault due to a fall and the withdrawal of Alan Castrique. On the other hand, Victoire Berteau took the 20th place in the sprint and is ranked 1st French. The 2nd stage, tomorrow, between Meaux and Provins (135 km) should also end in a sprint.

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