Julien Simon is one of the veterans in the French peloton and in 2022 he is being one of the most successful riders in the circuit, with a complementary win yesterday at the Tour du Limousin which has also earned him the yellow jersey.
“I think it was for the pure sprinters. But I said at the briefing that I would try something on the false flat up towards the last kilometer if I felt good," Simon said in a post-race interview. The finale in La Souterraine was a slight uphill rise, and the TotalEnergies took advantage of that situation to the fullest. "When I saw that there was space, I didn't hesitate for a moment and went for it. It was really by feel".
Simon attacked with less than 500 meters to go, got a gap, and then managed to resist the surge of the sprinters from behind. “I had some fear in the last straight. It was really a lactic effort, it was hard. I couldn't throw my arms in the air and really enjoy myself before crossing the line," he described. This was his third win of the year, after winning the GP du Morbihan and Tour du Finistère - both on punchy finales such as yesterday's.
"This victory really reminds me of my victory in the GP du Morbihan. Since I've already won this year, I was confident. Otherwise I might not have tried it… It's already been a good season for me: I've never won in the Limousin, I had to wait until I was 36," he concluded. Simon will now be on a defensive role as he looks to protect the lead, but will find a likely bunch sprint on a flat finale today which won't be to his liking.
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