C
Clovis Lark
Guest
Thanks to my blow by blow coverage of RAGT's heroic efforts to snag the
Lanterne Rouge in addition to their destruction of the rest of the field
in the team competition, Cycling News sees fit, as Johnny Come Lately to
join the praise:
RAGT Satisfied
The small French RAGT Semences-MG Rover team embodied the role of underdog
in this year's Tour de France, and though lacking in top ten results, team
director sportif Jean-Luc Jonrond remains pleased with the effort. RAGT
finished at the bottom the prize money total, but took consolation in
having eight riders finish the race, having lost only Eddy Seigneur to the
dreaded time delay in the mountains.
"Let’s be positive and not lose sight of the fact that eight riders made
it to the finish in Paris," Jonrond said. "Eight riders who were not sick
and who gritted their teeth and who managed on the most difficult days to
make it within the time limits.
"As with all the staff, I am pleased with the performances of Ludovic
Martin, Frédéric Finot and Sylvain Calzati," he added. "Looking back, I
think we came out of it better than we had expected to at the start."
Martin himself was pleased, particularly with his time trial effort on
Alpe d'Huez, where he finished 30th, four minutes behind stage winner
Lance Armstrong.
"I got off to a bad start," Martin explained. "I thought I’d be out of the
running in the first week because of my knee. I found the Pyrénées tough.
Of course, I’m pleased with the way things worked out for me on Alpe
d’Huez and my breakaway in the stage which finished in Le Grand-Bornand.
Overall, I’m pleased with my Tour where I showed that I had a potential
for the mountain stages."
Lanterne Rouge in addition to their destruction of the rest of the field
in the team competition, Cycling News sees fit, as Johnny Come Lately to
join the praise:
RAGT Satisfied
The small French RAGT Semences-MG Rover team embodied the role of underdog
in this year's Tour de France, and though lacking in top ten results, team
director sportif Jean-Luc Jonrond remains pleased with the effort. RAGT
finished at the bottom the prize money total, but took consolation in
having eight riders finish the race, having lost only Eddy Seigneur to the
dreaded time delay in the mountains.
"Let’s be positive and not lose sight of the fact that eight riders made
it to the finish in Paris," Jonrond said. "Eight riders who were not sick
and who gritted their teeth and who managed on the most difficult days to
make it within the time limits.
"As with all the staff, I am pleased with the performances of Ludovic
Martin, Frédéric Finot and Sylvain Calzati," he added. "Looking back, I
think we came out of it better than we had expected to at the start."
Martin himself was pleased, particularly with his time trial effort on
Alpe d'Huez, where he finished 30th, four minutes behind stage winner
Lance Armstrong.
"I got off to a bad start," Martin explained. "I thought I’d be out of the
running in the first week because of my knee. I found the Pyrénées tough.
Of course, I’m pleased with the way things worked out for me on Alpe
d’Huez and my breakaway in the stage which finished in Le Grand-Bornand.
Overall, I’m pleased with my Tour where I showed that I had a potential
for the mountain stages."