David Moncoutie is willing to miss the Tour de France and will prefer the Vuelta instead for the 2012 season
David Moncoutie is turning 37 in April, 2012, and the cyclist is showing no signs of slowing down. It is believed that the French might miss the Tour de France 2012 to ensure his top form for the Vuelta a Espana, 2012.
Moncoutie rides for the professional continental squad, Team Cofidis, since the start of his career and has participated in as many as 14 Grand Tours throughout.
He was on the verge of retiring after a disappointing Tour de France last year but the rest of the season was filled with victories that gave him enough enthusiasm to continue his professional pursuit.
Moncoutie cited, “I still love the bike and my desire to win is still there. As long as I enjoy it and the legs are there, I’ll keep going”.
He further said, “I will stop one day. Maybe at the end of the season, I don’t know yet”.
David claimed an overall victory at the Tour Mediterraneen, along with the stage 5 win at the race.
He also finished first at the Tour de I’Ain, along with a stage win at the Vuelta a Espana 2011.
He explained, “I really prefer the Vuelta to the Tour. It’s easier in terms of pressure, and harder in terms of terrain. The Tour has a week of flat where I waste a lot of strength. In the Vuelta, there are mountains straight away and that suits me better”.
The cyclist has appeared in as many as ten French Grand Tours, including four Vuelta participations under his belt.
He has won the Mountains Classifications at the Spanish Grand Tour for the past four seasons and is positive to make it his fifth consecutive victory for the coming year.
Team Cofidis could not perform to its calibre during the previous season and has not yet received the wild-card invitation for the Tour de France 2012.
Vuelta a Espana 2012 will commence on August 18th, 2012, with a 16.2 kilometre Team Time Trial stage at Pamplona.
The overall winner of the race will be declared on September 9th after 21 gruelling stages.
The race will visit Navarre for the first time since 1994, during its 67th edition and David is amongst the favourites to claim the Mountains Classifications at the mega event.
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