🚴🇫🇷 DOUBLÉ OLYMPIQUE FRANÇAIS EN CYCLISME SUR ROUTE !! VALENTIN MADOUAS EN ARGENT 🥈 ET CHRISTOPHE LAPORTE EN BRONZE 🥉. (Eurosport) #Paris2024
Valter ("The journalists misunderstood me") and Tratnik ("I was too tired to think about road riding") reflect on their Games
CyclingMonday, 05 August 2024 at 12:14
Visma | Lease a Bike saw four of their seven participants in the Olympic road race finish in the top ten on Saturday, and that didn't even include their star rider, Wout van Aert. Christophe Laporte (third), Attila Valter (fourth), Jan Tratnik (eighth), and Matteo Jorgenson (United States) defended the honor of the yellow-black team.
Bronze medalist Laporte has already been discussed, as has Jorgenson. The American was one of the few riders to race alongside Mathieu van der Poel and Van Aert, but eventually found himself caught in a French trap, from which Laporte secured the bronze. Valter, who finished fourth, also crossed the line with a clenched fist, giving many the impression that the Hungarian didn’t realize Remco Evenepoel was still ahead...
However, nothing could be further from the truth, as he told Eurosport. "It didn’t mean that I was thinking about a medal; it was simply a gesture of joy for my fourth place. I’m just really happy with it. I felt that no one would catch me, but perhaps a few foreign journalists may have misunderstood this a bit."
That’s not surprising, since Valter had to approach the race tactically as a lone rider. "I managed my energy well, but the last hour was really tough. Looking at my power output, it wasn’t an unbelievably hard race, but 272 kilometers is still very long. It was good to ride in such a small peloton, as it felt much safer. I enjoyed it, and racing without earpieces was also very interesting."
Read more below the video.
Tratnik: "Last week, I was too tired to even think about the road race"
Tratnik concluded his incredibly busy period—spring, Giro, Tour, and then the Olympics—with an impressive eighth place. "I have no words for it," the Slovenian shared on social media. "Last week, I was too tired to even think about the road race, but the Olympics remain the dream of every athlete," explained the iron man.
"Somehow, after this long first part of the season, I managed to motivate myself for one last push. I will never forget this eighth place. I’m proud, happy, and completely exhausted, so now it’s time to switch off for a bit and enjoy," said Tratnik.
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Latest Comments
- Van Aert is really handsome. He can influence me all day! Ditto for Philipsen. Why do you think many of us love cycling?: to see heroic attempts at climbing mountains at high altitudes or to watch speedsters sprint for the finish line or to watch a human being ride at break neck speed down a tricky descent? No, it's all about their lean physiques and muscular legs. (apologies for objectifying these dedicated and amazing athletes).BarwonHeadsUp25-10-2024
- It is unfortunate that the author can't feel the joy that Pogacar brings to the sport and his fans who are legion and I for one feel lucky to have watched such a memorable performance and historic season From the Strada until yesterday with multiple wins in stages in both tours and beyond dominance in the World's. He is proud to wear the Rainbow stripes, shows his leadership to protect his fellows and is as courteous and sportsman-like as the sport allows. He goes early to not have to respond to each attack as all the rest would make him do it. Any racer who could would do the same. Don't "grow tired" of greatness as it is always fleeting.ccrider13-10-2024
- What load of rubbish. Pog is likely a once in a generation cyclist, the like of which hasn't been seen since 'the Cannibal '. How many people were complaining that Merckx was making racing predictable? I remember this year's World RR as one of the most exciting I've watched. Mainly BECAUSE Pog was the favourite and launched what everyone thought (Pog included) was a suicidal attack with 80km to go. For the next 2 hours, I was on the edge of my seat thinking "this is too much, even for Pog". Maybe Zonnefeld prefers the snooze-fest that is a bunch sprint? Like most people I know, I can't watch two hours of the bunch riding very fast... I wait for the final 5km and watch just the sprint. In any event, most races are won from a sprint or lone break. What difference does it make who makes the lone break? Ultimately, the other contenders will have to figure out a way to beat Pog. Even if that means collaboration between teams. It's going to be an exciting few seasons, until the next Pog arrives on the scene. If this is boring, heaven knows what exciting looks like!Michael513-10-2024
- This is not a gravel race. UCI fail, from the surface they are on to team tactics. In what country was the first "gravel race" in what country is the most popular gravel race? Go with the race model that created the discipline.
Barnes127411-10-2024 - And don't forget he has now won 4 of the big 10 races (Grand tours, Monuments and WC/OG) in one year with a chance to make that 5. (5 has only been done once before)Joostmehrtens05-10-2024