“It's significant for the French today” – Vauquelin brimming with pride as he pulls on Tour de Suisse yellow jersey

Frenchman Kevin Vauquelin rolled out for Stage 6 of the Tour de Suisse 2025 wearing the yellow jersey for the first time in his career, and the pride was clear as he spoke to Cycling Pro Net moments before the start.

“Well, it's a feeling of this great satisfaction,” Vauquelin said when asked how it felt to pull on the leader’s jersey. “I'm really happy to be able to race for the first time in a leader's jersey in a Tour de France race, especially in the yellow jersey. It's significant for the French today.”

While the Tour de Suisse isn’t the Tour de France, the symbolism of the yellow jersey still carries weight, particularly for a French rider leading a French team. And yet, there was little time to bask in the moment. Vauquelin quickly acknowledged the intensity of the race.

“Is it going to be a little quiet, a little bit of time to enjoy it, or in modern cycling it's never quiet, we know… no, we don't know, it's a slightly tricky course,” he said. “Maybe a little tricky or the start will be a little difficult, so we'll see how it goes and how the teams that have sprinters in particular will behave.”

Despite the challenges, there’s a clear sense of momentum in the Arkéa – B&B Hotels squad. “We know that it's a little tough for the team,” Vauquelin admitted. “Thanks to that (wearing the yellow jersey), we're super motivated between teammates and for the team in general.”

He also praised the wider efforts within the Arkéa setup, particularly referencing the performances from the team’s front-line riders on the road. “There’s also the front line on the Itani road, which is putting in some very good performances so far. So it's a really good wave and we have to enjoy it.”