Bryan Coquard set to leave Vuelta a Espana to pursue UCI points elsewhere - "I didn't expect the year to go like this"
Cycling
The Vuelta a Espana is a race where many are looking for UCI points to save their season, however simultaneously there will be at least one rider to leave the race early in search of the same goal elsewhere. Bryan Coquard is set to abandon the race after stage 13 this afternoon.
"Friday, Coquard will go home to participate in other competitions," Cofidis' Davide Cimolai told Bici.Pro. "We have to score points, but I think it's ridiculous. It causes a lot of stress all year round. The paradox of the situation is that much more points can be earned in small races.” Cofidis have been having a decent season and currently stand in 14th place in the UCI rankings, however the French team needs to stay on their toes as they are only around 800 points ahead of Lotto Soudal who is on the first relegation spot, and with about month and a half of racing to go with plenty races, there is still room for improvement for many.
“Last year, for example, with a third place in a stage in the Tirreno and two second places in stages in the Giro d'Italia, I took around 100 points, while other riders took 125 points by winning one small race," Coquard said, sharing the discontent that many others in the peloton have over the system. “I'm not happy about it, but I understand the team. The goal is to stay in the WorldTour, and even if we stay calm it will be a challenge. I didn't expect the year to go like this, but I'm keeping my mouth shut and doing my job".
Cimolai came to the Vuelta as a wildcard for the sprints, but has been instead helping out Bryan Coquard. Neither have had, until today, a strong result to show for. The Italian will have the freedom throughout the final week however where he's expecting to get a strong result. “It is my only personal goal this Vuelta. However, it will mainly provide personal satisfaction, because many points are not to be achieved," he concluded.
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- i did not see it. was the relegation justified or an overly hard decision? and don‘t cross riders deviate from straight lines all the time? bumping into each others when they cut corners, etc … why being more strict with the rules on the finish sprint?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- seems like we are advertising the website with pointless comments…Ketterechts08-11-2026
- So?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- The UCI do have their favorites.
Front24208-11-2026 - On a positive note, you maybe notice turning this topic into a discussion has the benefit of eliminating certain participants who do not see how they can turn it back to their sole interest ;-)Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- People see what they want to. I am actually the opposite of your accusation, probably more of a rebel than most of you who don’t get the big picture. The difference is, I don’t go moaning publicly about the consequences of my transgressions, I understand the need for rules and I take my OWN responsibility when deciding to ignore or break them or doing so involuntarily. I will also not hesitate to state my case or argue vehemently when relevant, sometimes it works, sometimes it makes things worse but that’s the price to pay for principles and having character.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- That may be but that was unknown to others and nothing says that’s the whole truth. Again, don’t try to misinterpret, it is a call and technically it is correct. Besides, even if there is a valid reason, that does not disqualify the ruling or punishment as far as the rules have been developed. I don’t think they’re as far as in football where for handball there is a distinction (in some ways and specific cases) between intentional or not. And football can be just as harsh and people live with it, eg the offside rule, also judged to within tiny fractions but often wrong or ignored. It’s the nature of every collective organisation and sometimes I wonder if our rebellion against it isn’t seated in the feelings we carry from the injustices we’ve felt personally, like being flashed driving 1km/h too fast when we are explained limits are just a security measure but we are absolutely certain not to have endangered anyone with our transgression. The problem is, nobody has better solutions and no 2 people have the same interpretation of where a limit should be.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Because for you deviated implies the other rider MUST have been made to fall and fail to finish ??? I don’t know if you ride a bike but next time someone carves you up or drives dangerously close, just hold back from those feelings of changing something, reporting or filming or even complaining. Everyone will just say, hey you’re still here undamaged, doesn’t seem like anyone did anything.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- And we, what are we doing?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- And yet, it attracts people, even you. What’s more, it attracts the rival fanboys to fill cyberspace with endless pointless my hero is better than your hero blabla that’s all been heard before and only helps sell the site as an advertising platform. You know what the solution is but most can’t resist. No different than women who follow and discuss celebs through gossip magazines.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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Demain. Ce week-end. La semaine prochaine. On aura d'autres occasions pour s'illustrer à nouveau 👊 #LaVuelta22 📸 @GettySport
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