Cofidis have gotten Bryan Coquard off to a strong start to the season with wins at Etoile de Bessèges and Tour de la Provence. The French sprinter was expected to perform at Paris-Nice and he's delivering, but just missed out on a win today as he was face-to-face with an unbeatable Mads Pedersen.
"It was a very good stage. I'm obviously disappointed because we always come to win. I made a mistake by giving way to Van Aert 500 meters from the finish but I couldn't fight too much physically in the wind next to him. It was clearly a sprint that I liked and this second place comes at the right time after yesterday when we were rather unlucky collectively," Coquard said after the finish. Whilst on the opening day Coquard rode a very strong finish, he saw the Jumbo-Visma trio run away with the win. Yesterday in Orléans he struggled with the crosswinds, making it to the front group but in the end lacking the legs to contest for the stage win.
"The legs are very good, that's why we accelerated a little at the end of the stage. Now it's a second Paris-Nice that will start. Ion and Guillaume have lost a bit of time and that will perhaps allow us to be offensive. I will do my best to fulfill my role as a model teammate alongside them," he concluded.
Although Coquard can climb, today's finale was likely his last chance to go for a stage win. All the stages from now on are too hard for him expect for stage six which finishes in Aubagne, but a breakaway is expected to run away with the win on that day.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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Raaah ! Quel final de @bryancoquard, qui vient échouer d'un rien derrière Pedersen 🥈 #ParisNice
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