PAST CHAMPIONS
How does the Tour route define
your preparation?
GT: I’ve not changed much of the
preparation that led me to victory in
2018. Since I’ve been a pro, I’ve been
getting better every year. I hope this
will continue this season. My goal is to
reach the same level as last season, the
same power values for the same weight.
CF: I’ve consciously spent less time on
my time trial bike this year in order to
focus on climbing because this edition
is very mountainous. I’ve also been very
vigilant about my weight, which is an
essential factor when it comes to the
route. I plan to start the race very well
honed but still making sure to eat in
order to boost recovery.
Chris, last year you tackled the
very testing Giro-Tour double.
Why have you chosen to only race
the Tour in 2019?
CF: Last year, there was an extra week
between the end of the Giro and the
beginning of the Tour. This offered a
unique opportunity to attempt this
challenge. Fighting for the overall
classification in a three-week race is
extremely demanding, both physically
and mentally. It takes time to recover.
But even with this extra time, I didn’t
have the legs to go for the win at the
Tour. You can’t underestimate how
difficult it is to win a Grand Tour. So to
win two consecutively...
Above, from top: Training in new Team Ineos
colours; a proud Welsh winner; Geraint and his wife
Sara Elen; a year of publicity for the 2018 winner.
14 | TO U R
D E F R A NC E 2019
The Grand Départ in Brussels will
celebrate the 50th anniversary of
Eddy Merckx’s first Tour success.
What does he mean to you?
CF: Eddy is a legend, if not THE legend
of our sport. We’ll never see another
rider as prolific as him in modern
cycling. He won on so many different
terrains. I’ve got six Grand Tours to my
name but not a single one-day race,
while he took dozens of victories in the
biggest Classics.
GT: As Chris says, Eddy Merckx is an
absolute legend. I think he’s won at least
one edition of every race I’ve ridden as
a pro. I’ve had the privilege to meet him
on several occasions. He’s managed
to stay extremely friendly and down to
earth. I’ve got a lot of respect for him.
The yellow jersey is celebrating its
centenary this year. What does it
represent to you?
GT: Quite simply, the yellow jersey is
cycling. It’s a garment that everyone
knows. I still remember very clearly
the day I took it for the very first time,
in 2017. I didn’t sleep too well as I
struggled to come to terms with the fact
that it was real. When I pulled on this
mythical jersey in my hotel room, I took
a photo of myself in front of the mirror
and sent it to my wife. And of course,
having it on my shoulders last year
on the Champs-Élysées podium was
completely crazy.
CF: Growing up in Africa, I wasn’t
immersed in the same cycling culture as
a young European. But once I got some
experience of the Tour, it didn’t take
me long to understand that this jersey
was the ultimate grail of our sport. Even
though I dreamed about it at the time, I
never imagined I would pull on this jersey
one day. It’s a huge symbol in cycling
that I always wear with a lot of pride. I
have a lot of respect for it. Crossing the
finish line on the Champs-Élysées with
the yellow jersey on your shoulders, arm
in arm with my teammates, is a very
powerful moment. Few emotions in life
can come close to it.
If you could borrow one quality
from your teammate, which one
would you choose?
GT: Chris has the ability to put a lot
of effort into a project and to commit
himself to all of the sacrifices required
to bring it to fruition. He accepts he
has to spend a lot of time away from
his family, which is certainly the most
difficult thing.
CF: Without doubt, G’s ability to
approach things in a very relaxed way.
He knows how to relativise and not
stress about things. ●
if the gaps are still tight the day before
the finish in Paris, the 20th stage to Val
Thorens could also be a very tough test.
GT: I agree with Chris about the
nervousness of the first week. I would
add that the team time trial on the
second day could influence the race in
a big way. La Planche des Belles Filles
will definitely be the second key point
where, although they won’t be too big,
gaps will be created. Then the Pyrenees
and the Alps will play their traditional
race-deciding roles.