With Evenepoel out of the picture, Valentin Paret-Peintre has lofty Tour de France ambitions

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

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.

Midway through that race, we caught up with the climber from Annemasse. "I don't really know yet whether I'll be aiming for a good overall result, or whether I'll lose time to go for a stage win. We'll see on Friday where I stand, and then we'll know a bit more for the weekend," he said on the Wednesday before the start of the Dauphiné stage four.

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!

Author: Gauthier Ribeiro - Click here to email