After failed Tour de France, Cofidis seems to be banking on experience for the Vuelta a España after all

Although Cofidis is a French team, the Vuelta holds special importance. Their title sponsor has been involved with the Spanish Grand Tour for many years, so the objective is clear: Cofidis heads to Turin chasing stage victories. They’ve succeeded before, with Jesús Herrada claiming three stage wins (in 2019, 2022, and 2023), and with highlights like Guillaume Martin winning the mountains classification in 2020 and Nicolas Edet wearing the red leader’s jersey in 2019.

Just like they did during the Tour de France earlier this year, the team is mainly banking on experience. At 24 years old, Oliver Knight is the youngest rider on the squad, while no fewer than four riders over the age of 30 have been selected: Emanuel Buchmann, Bryan Coquard, Paul Ourselin, and the aforementioned Herrada.

French sprinter Bryan Coquard will be riding the Vuelta for the fourth straight year. He’s never made it beyond stage 16 in his previous attempts, nor has he managed a stage win. The 33-year-old will be hoping for a freer role this time, especially after the controversy earlier this year in the Tour de France, where he was involved in the crash that brought down Jasper Philipsen.

Alongside Coquard, the team has also selected Stanislaw Aniolkowski. “They’ll target the sprint finishes,” the team reports. For the mountain stages, Cofidis is counting on both Herrada and Simon Carr. “He and Herrada will try their luck on the steepest climbs, as will Buchmann, who can mix it with the best on the most demanding stages.”

The final rider selected to the squad is Sergio Samitier. “Knight, Ourselin, and Samitier will support the climbers and get their own chances if the opportunity arises,” says the team. It's clear: they have a plan for everyone. All in all, a lineup packed with experience, similar to the approach they took in the Tour de France. That campaign turned out to be very underwhelming, so Cofidis will be hoping for a change of fortune in the Vuelta.

Bryan Coquard