“I felt like a truck had run over me” – Coquard responds to Philipsen crash fallout

Bryan Coquard of Cofidis is off to a turbulent start at this year’s Tour de France. During the third stage, Coquard was involved in a crash with Jasper Philipsen, the former green jersey holder and winner of the opening stage, who was forced to abandon the race with a broken collarbone.

The incident drew criticism from riders in the peloton, and race officials have since issued Coquard a yellow card. Speaking to L'Équipe, Coquard described the physical and emotional toll the crash has taken.

"It was painful, I felt like a truck had run over me during the night. It's closer to a road accident than a fall from a bike. I'm in pain everywhere, but nothing's broken and I'm still in the Tour de France. Sleep wasn't easy to come by, not at all...

“You saw my state yesterday (Monday)... I was in a complicated emotional state. But we talked a lot, we analyzed a lot, I needed opinions on the fall. When you saw me after the finish, I had only seen one video before getting off the bus. But I finally put what happened into perspective."

Coquard said he spent the following stage riding cautiously, wary of receiving another yellow card.

"The yellow card is something that I had a lot in mind today (this Tuesday). After two, you are excluded from the Tour de France. I find it very, very, very, very unfair. 99% of the peloton came to talk to me today and tell me that it was unfair. I am still very sorry about Philipsen, this dramatic fact of the race. There I spent my day braking and letting the guys pass for fear of getting a second yellow card."