Paret-Peintre has 2 clear Tour de France ambitions after Evenepoel's exit: 'quite favourable for me'

Valentin Paret-Peintre was the big name to win on Mont Ventoux at last year's Tour de France. The 25-year-old climber from Soudal Quick-Step saw his team lose Remco Evenepoel over the winter, but for the Frenchman, that actually opens up opportunities at the Tour de France. IDL Pro Cycling spoke to him last week at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. On Tuesday, Paret-Peintre was named in the Soudal Quick-Step Tour de France squad.

A second place behind the untouchable Jonas Vingegaard at stage five of Paris-Nice already hinted that Paret-Peintre's year was going well. After the French stage race, he also posted a fourth place at the Tour of Catalonia and two top-five finishes at the Tour de Romandie. The Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes would be his final warm-up race before the Tour de France.

In the end, it was the latter. Paret-Peintre was part of the breakaway on the final two days, having earlier lost time in the general classification. The legs were in good shape, as he had already indicated that same Wednesday. "Right now, I'm really where I want to be. I'm at a good level here, but not yet at my peak."

He continued: "I felt in the first stage that things were going really well, but that there was still a small something missing. We're further ahead than last year's schedule, when I was genuinely less good at the Dauphiné." Paret-Peintre added: "It's been going pretty well so far. I'm quite happy with the form up to now. I haven't had any problems in my Tour de France preparation, so I'm pleased with it."

The Tour de France is a major goal for the Frenchman. "I'm hoping to improve further in the build-up to the Tour," the climber said. This year, his team Soudal Quick-Step head to the Tour de France without a major favourite for the overall win, and that in itself creates opportunities.

When asked whether the absence of Evenepoel — and therefore a genuine GC leader — changes his own ambitions, Paret-Peintre is clear: "It's certain that it changes the team's plans, as we're no longer going there with just one leader."

So what ambitions is he taking to Barcelona? "It gives me more freedom to go for stage wins, so that's quite favourable for me," he told us. Little to no GC ambitions, then — and speaking to Le Dauphiné Libéré, he also expressed his desire to go for the polka-dot jersey. That promises plenty!

On the final stage of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes — the race formerly known as the Critérium du Dauphiné — a brutal closing day of four categorised climbs and 4,000 metres of climbing, Paret-Peintre slipped into a seven-rider move inside the opening ten kilometres. The group built a lead of more than two minutes over the first ascent before the peloton struck back.

The Frenchman would prove hard to reel in. As others cracked, he pressed on, attacking on the slopes of Plateau de Solaison, a climb set to feature at this summer's Tour de France. They led until eight kilometres from the top, where stage and overall winner Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) surged past on the steepest ramps.

Paret-Peintre kept driving to the line and was named the day's most combative rider. It was Soudal Quick-Step's second combativity award of the week, after Pepijn Reinderink on stage five, leaving the Belgian team as the only squad with two prizes in the category.

Author: Gauthier Ribeiro - Click here to email