France finalizes Worlds teams
Today, France announced the eight riders they will be sending to the UCI Road World Championships on 29 September. National champion Thomas Voeckler has chosen not to compete in the Worlds in Geelong, Australia, despite briefly toying with the idea after his recent victory in the Grand Prix Cycliste de Quebec, the first ProTour event in North America held on Friday.
"For the time being, I'll stick to my decision that I'm not doing the World Championships," said Voeckler afterward. "Especially because that course is much faster than it was here and could favour a faster rider, so we will see."
The French national cycling coach Laurent Jalabert was hoping to bring Voeckler to the event, believing him to be the best shot at a podium finish. Sylvain Chavanel, two-time 2010 Tour de France stage winner, will be leading the team in the road race and is also competing in the time-trial, as is Nicolas Vogondy.
“Voeckler’s selection for me was all but a certainty as he is the French champion, but he rang me at the end of August to tell me that he hadn’t really got the mindset to compete in the championships,” said Jalabert. “After Friday’s race in Quebec, I tried to convince him otherwise. It is a shame that he doesn’t want to come but I understand.”
Without any one-day specialist on the team, Romain Feillu is the only other chance for a podium finish. Feillu finished second in this weekend’s Paris-Brussels classic, behind Francisco Ventoso, who ended Australia’s six consecutive wins of the event. Chavanel most recently competed in the two one-day Canadian ProTour races over the weekend, since he has sat out of the Vuelta a Espana, a traditional pre-Worlds competition.
"Chavanel will be the leader, but he perhaps lacks the freshness and rhythm he needs," said Jalabert. “I am remaining realistic. Without underestimating our riders abilities, when did we manage a podium finish in a Classic this year? In fact when was the last time that a Frenchman finished in the top three in a Classic?”
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