"I want to do fewer pure sprints": Bryan Coquard reinvents himself after GP La Marseillaise victory

Bryan Coquard has broken a drought of over a year to claim victory at the 2026 Grand Prix La Marseillaise. The win is a significant morale booster for the 33-year-old Frenchman, but also a crucial first step for his Cofidis team as they begin a three-year hunt for UCI points to secure a return to the WorldTour.

Despite suffering a bad crash on the opening day of the season at the GP Castellón, the explosive former track rider recovered to take the win in Marseille. Speaking to French television after the finish, Coquard revealed that the victory validates a shift in his career strategy: he is no longer training to be a pure sprinter.

"We wanted it to be a hard race," Coquard explained in quotes collected by Spazio Ciclismo. "The condition is good, but we weren't very calm halfway through the race because after the Espigoulier there were only two of us. Clement Izquierdo, who is from the area, was with me, so he still had a chance to have his say. Later Alexis Renard came back and we managed to organize ourselves very well, so I am very happy with this victory and to have been able to add this race to my palmarès."

Last year, Coquard found himself at the center of controversy following a collision with Jasper Philipsen at the Tour de France that forced the Belgian to abandon. Now, he admits he has reevaluated his role in the peloton. He is stepping back from mass bunch sprints to focus on harder days where his durability can shine.

"I must confess that this winter I didn't work much on sprints," Coquard said. "I want to try to do fewer pure sprints. Today was flat [at the finish], but it had been a difficult day so we could play my cards because in these scenarios I manage to resist and remain fast. But in flatter finishes I think I will leave my place against the great specialists. I worked in this direction this winter."

This new approach has altered his calendar and expectations. Coquard is set to fly to Oman for the Muscat Classic and Tour of Oman, but he has circled Milan-San Remo as a primary objective, ranking it even higher than Paris-Nice, where he will support teammate Milan Fretin. "He [Fretin] is now our reference sprinter," Coquard said.

Regarding La Primavera, Coquard remains realistic but ambitious. "Obviously, at San Remo, I'm not going to win, I know Tadej Pogacar will be there, but it is a race in which I want to do well, even if it hasn't smiled on me entirely so far. But I hope now to be able to get a good result, maybe a placement in the top ten," he said.

After that, Coquard will head to Greece to participate in two .1 events: the Visit South Aegean GP and the Rhodes GP. He also announced a few weeks ago that he will not ride the Tour de France after 8 consecutive appearances, and he will just target one Grand Tour: the Vuelta a España.