TDF 2012

I cannot believe we are at the start of another Tour de France, a year has travelled very fast.

In terms of following the race, I will attempt to bring you some highlights that you might not see on SBS or cycling news. Specifically I will trawl the French cycling media for interesting stories for your reading pleasure. Of course they will make little sense once translated but that should only increase your reading pleasure. Additionally, I am also very close to securing an interview with a member of the french cycling family. His story is a sad but one that must be told. Hopefully we can grasp another view of the race through his scarred eyes and deeply unstable mind.

If you haven't already, download SBS tour tracker and get ready.

We start today with an interview with Thomas Voeckler of Europcar, his chances and role this years race and what he thinks about the doping investigation into the teams solid performance in 2011.




Thomas Voeckler, a problem with your knee, do you still have ambitions for the overall standings?

I did not already. I do not preach and I did not in my heart. I'm not saying that I would spoil opportunities or give up at the first hurdle but then I could not even bend his leg ten days ago.

A good start to the Tour can help you to hope again do as well as last year?

It was not already obvious to try to remake both the course and because of the flexibility that I would not necessarily benefit. Here I am under no illusions. It should not be an expert in high performance sport to understand that if we made twelve days without activity on the twenty-two before the Tour, it takes time to recover. After, there is not always logical in cycling. When I won the Grand Prix of Quebec (2010), I had just spent three weeks doing barbecues and an hour of cycling per day ... There are at least one silver lining: it takes away some pressure. I initially it will only be a bonus. I'm already surprised to arrive at the same time as the winner in Seraing (after the first stage). I rather see myself taking a break because the finish is hard


This is precisely one that suits you arrive ...

Oh ... Last year, the Mont des Alouettes, it was also a finish for me and if I finished in front, I was not in the first (14th). If I was 100%, I would have taken such risks to place myself at the foot of the Kwaremont (mythical mountain of the Tour of Flanders) to follow the offensive. Here, there will be no miracle. I'll try to finish far at all, and hoping to hang back a little fitness and cross your fingers to continue to have no physical pain, as from the beginning of the week.

You will be the teammate Pierre Rolland?

Sure, but even if I was 100%, I would be his teammate if he was better than me. While there, annoyed with my preparation, so I'm just, of course, Pierrot can count on me, even outside the mountain stages. In the extra-sporting in strategic locations, weather, tactics ... I think being able to give a helping hand. You know, there is no rider, except Lance Armstrong, who happens to be 100% in consecutive years. So if, luckily, we manage to have the same physical condition as last year and to be there in the end, there will not necessarily strategy that will fall into place.

How do you react to the revelations of The Team?

In such situations, there are two solutions. Either you move your arms trying to move heaven and earth, to round up everyone saying it is a scandal, or that you spent a little above and you try to move on in order not to lose any energy. I think I will adopt the second strategy. Frankly, I'm not in a position where I have to justify myself. I'm here to take the start of the Tour de France, while I almost did not belong there. I am very happy to be there and they are not a few lines that will somehow change that.

Do you think your success last year was caused jealousy?

This is my twelfth year pro and I do not think it dates from last year, where I still have been criticized. We must make do. You know, when I see a rider who crashed racing - which has never been our case either - even I wonder if it does not take me for a fool. So why the others did not say the same things as us? "