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.”