Laurance on riding together with Van der Poel: "I didn’t need to stress because he wasn’t stressed either"

Here we go again! After Geraint Thomas previously sat down with his new INEOS Grenadiers teammate Caleb Ewan in his podcast Geraint Thomas Cycling Club, it was now Axel Laurance’s turn. Laurance reflected with Thomas on his childhood, where cycling was instilled in him from an early age, and he also had an absolute childhood hero.

Thomas, who watched the opening weekend with great enthusiasm, noticed something striking on Sunday. "It’s really crazy. Kaden (Groves, ed.) celebrates cautiously because his teammate Jasper (Philipsen, ed.) won, and then he gets a yellow card, even though there was no danger at all. The yellow cards are a good idea, but if you’re already getting a card just for raising your arm, that doesn’t make any sense."

"When I was watching, I really got the urge to ride a cobbled classic again," the former Tour de France winner continues. "But I know that my current condition isn’t good enough to be at the start of a race like that. When I watch the Tour of Flanders, I’ll probably long for the cobbles again. And of course, something could always change in the selection."

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Geraint Thomas

Laurance makes his father proud, who never got the chance to make it himself

Now, onto the guest of the podcast, Laurance, who is extremely proud of his move to one of the biggest teams in the world. But becoming a pro was almost inevitable for him. "My whole family is crazy about cycling. My father won multiple races at the amateur level, and my mother and sister have both ridden the Tour de France. At home, cycling was always the main topic of conversation, and we watched nearly every race."

"I always dreamed of becoming a pro," the young Frenchman continues. "It was always in my mind that I wanted to race professionally one day. I also wanted to do it for my father, who was a pro for two years, but since he was in the sport during an era dominated by doping, it was really tough for him. That’s why I’m incredibly proud that he now gets to see me winning at the highest level. It means a lot to him."

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Axel Laurance was already the best with regularity

Laurance enjoyed racing alongside Van der Poel and Sagan

When asked if he had a childhood hero, the 23-year-old rider had a quick answer. "Peter Sagan is my biggest inspiration. When I was young, I watched him a lot on TV and was always hugely impressed by the way he raced. I always admired him. I even tried to copy his riding style, and I’m still trying to refine it."

"It’s hard for me to name a French hero because I feel like I need to have seen them live on television," Laurance continues. "If I have to name someone, it would be Bernard Hinault. Of course, he’s one of the greatest riders of all time. But I also loved watching Julian Alaphilippe. His aggressive racing style and constant attacking are things I really enjoy."

Before making the move to INEOS, the Frenchman raced alongside Mathieu van der Poel. "Mathieu is super relaxed; I’ve rarely seen him stressed. Because of that, I never felt any pressure before big races either—Mathieu told me that if he wasn’t stressed, I didn’t need to be stressed either. I really enjoyed racing with him, but I’m also really looking forward to my time at INEOS."

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