Sylvain Chavanal a green jersey contender
When Tom Boonen had to withdraw as the leader of Belgium-based Team Quickstep, Sylvain Chavanal was chosen, and in the second stage of the 2010 Tour de France, he led his team to the most successful day they’ve ever has, with a stage victory win and three jerseys, two for Chavanal and one for the Team Classification.
“It was a terrific race,” said Chavanel to Cycling News. “To win on Belgian roads for a Belgian team and to have the honour tomorrow of riding into France wearing the yellow jersey is a dream come true for me. I still haven’t realized what I’ve accomplished.”
Chavanal started his professional cycling career in France in 2000.
“We've got quite a big family and we're all into cycling. I remember playing out in the garden with my three brothers and sister with little figures that we gave names to. I was usually Greg Lemond, then later I went on to be Miguel Indurain then eventually Laurent Jalabert,” recounted Chavanel to Procycling.
His first professional victory was the climbers' jersey in the Tour de l'Avenir in 2000, and his first overall lead was in 2002 at Four Days of Dunkirk. He has since won seven more overall leads. He finished 65th in his first Tour de France, at 22 years old, and won the 19th stage and the combativity award in 2008.
He signed an agreement with director Patrick Lefevere join the Quick Step team in Belgium at the start of 2009.
“I had other options as well,” Chavanel told L’Equipe. “Professionally, it's an experience that can only do me good. I had the chance to sign for three years with AG2R-La Mondiale but I had the feeling that I wasn't going to develop enough. I have always raced in France and, in my heart, some experience abroad has excited me for some time. I therefore decided to take the step.”
Stage 2 of the 2010 Tour de France
“Sylvain and I had a great race,” said Quick Step teammate Jerome Pineau. “If I captured the polka dot jersey Chavanel also gets some credit, since not only did he win the stage, he helped me on all the mountain grand prix. In the Giro d’Italia we won two stages, one of them I won and I worn the red jersey for a few days; here at the Tour de France history is repeating itself, actually, we’re doing even better and let’s hope it stays that way.”
Though Sylvain Chavanel cracked his skull in April, crashing on similar roads in the Belgian Ardennes, he was determined to take the second stage of the Tour. Attacking at 10km, only seven riders managed to keep up with his escape. Ultimately, he was the only rider of the leading group to survive the crash.
“ I said I would start this Tour in a good state of preservation, and that I would not be far from my best form. Finally, I took my chances on this stage and I managed to win. This is the happiest day of my sporting life. When I think about it, I realize that this season started with a plague of problems, and yet I never gave up... finally I do not regret having suffered as much, if only to feel such great emotion now. I savor this moment is what I want: it was my day,” Chavanal told the press at the Tour.
Chavanal lost the green jersey to Thor Hushovd in the third stage, but with a 5th place overall ranking, he is still a contender for the overall points classification.
“This could not be more beautiful. This morning we had planned, Sylvain and I – each, in turn, would attack. And we managed to find us both in the same breakaway, which is already great. Then, pretty soon, we’ve agreed to help me get some points for the climbing classification and I support him then on the final. But he did not even need me!” said Pineau. “It’s magic. A day like this, it happens maybe once in a career.”
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