Another stage, another solo attack by Thomas Voeckler and another day where the Frenchman narrowly missed out on an emphatic stage win.
His attack, late in the stage, appeared at first glance to be perfectly timed. As he flew around the final bend in the lead, it seemed likely the Team Europcar would be finally celebrating a first stage win of the season.
His legs, however, failed him – unable to stay clear of the leading group of chasers. It was a similar story to Paris-Nice, where the Frenchman was almost an ever-present in the race’s attacks – certainly in the latter half of the race. A big solo win certainly seems only a matter of time away.
On the same note, Tejay van Garderen (BMC Racing) is now a man to look out for. His crash in the prologue undid his race plans before it had even really begun. And the American sat up very early in the first road stage of the race.
It was a familiar story to Voeckler, who happily rolled in with the grupetto early in Paris-Nice before unleashing his attacking later in the week. Perhaps we are looking into it too much and his injury is causing him more bother, but the American should certainly not be overlooked for the rest of this race.
