"It is not suitable for a pure climber" - Thomas Voeckler gives more details about Paris Olympic Games road race course

This summer, the Olympic Games rolls into Paris. One of the highlights will of course be the men and women's elite road race although currently, not much is known about the course.

The coach of the French road team, Thomas Voeckler, has recently given away a few more details however in an interview with AFP. "We can safely say that it is not suitable for a pure climber. It's not just another classic or another Monument. It will be a very unusual race," says the French ex-pro. "Because of the stakes but also with the peloton reduced to 90 riders. The big nations will have less of an advantage because they will have less of a surplus. It will require vigilance, humility and consideration of all adversaries."

With the race seemingly wide open and tough to control, could we find a shock successor to Ecuador's Richard Carapaz. "Why not, but I think we will still find the strong ones in front. We can imagine a scenario like that of the Tokyo Olympics," Voeckler previews. "Carapaz was not necessarily mentioned among the very first favourites and it is he who becomes Olympic champion, not Tadej Pogacar."

"But Carapaz is still solid. This is very good since the French riders are more in this register than that of ultra favorites. When there are Van der Poels, Van Aerts and Pogacars opposite, the step is high. But not inaccessible," Voeckler concludes, refusing to name his French team. "There are definitely riders who are already on my shortlist. But today everything is not yet determined, far from it."