“It’s true a lot has really happened” – French ‘showman’ Vauquelin reflects on impressive Tour de France so far

Kevin Vauquelin has been the standout French rider at the 2025 Tour de France, and even after a tough day on stage 10, his presence near the top of the general classification remains one of the race’s biggest surprises. Riding for Arkea – B&B Hotels, the 24-year-old from Bayeux only faltered for the first time when he was dropped on the final climb of the Massif Central on stage 10.

“We were aiming for a stage win,” he told Le Parisien. “But it got a bit hectic, with the first stages where I was able to run with the leaders, the time trial, the white jersey, third place overall…”

There are no signs of disappointment, just realism and pride in how far he’s come. “It went really well. On Monday, my legs were a bit stiff and I was tired. The rest day felt good.”

Ten days into the race, Vauquelin has already packed in a season’s worth of memories. “I’ve been through a lot, both emotionally and physically. It’s true, a lot has really happened.” From the standout time trial in Caen to wearing the white jersey, he’s struggled to pinpoint a single highlight. “The white jersey was already fantastic. And the time trial in Caen, that doesn’t lie. I also remember the team spirit, with teammates who were twice as motivated.”

This Tour isn’t Vauquelin’s first brush with success, he won the second stage last year, but this is the first time he’s played such a central role for France over multiple days. And, at the Tour de Suisse in June, he managed an impressive second place behind Joao Almeida. He credits recent experiences for changing how he approaches adversity.

“Don’t give up. The day Van der Poel won in Boulogne, I felt unwell for two or three hours. Previously, I would have finished in the gruppetto, and now I launched four attacks in the final. I was one of the strongest that day. Just like, when Visma attacked, I was at my worst. And towards the end, it got better; I limited the damage. I learned resilience, to always fight.”

For Vauquelin, the Tour is about more than results, it’s about the connection with the public. “I’ve always been a showman,” he said. “You just don’t see it when there aren’t cameras! I’ve stood by the side of the road myself.

“What I want is to give something back to the crowd, a way to thank them. That can be with words, an autograph, a photo, or simply by raising your arms. It’s the atmosphere, a bit like in a football stadium; you have to give something back to the crowd. That’s normal for me.”

What makes his performance so far even more impressive is the fact that his team, Arkea, have one of the smallest budgets in the peloton. In fact, during last month’s Tour de Suisse, they did not even have a chef.

He’s still aiming for a stage win, but his position in the GC complicates things. “I’m going to race to win a stage, but I’m still too close in the general classification to be part of the breakaways. We’ll see day by day.” Tougher terrain is approaching, including a hill-climbing time trial that could reshape the standings.

“If there’s a bad day, I might try to get back on my feet and play my part in the breakaways,” he said, still holding out hope for a meaningful result. A top-10 finish remains on the table. “That would be huge. It’s such a demanding race. Afterwards, I’d almost rather finish eleventh after trying to lead a big breakaway for one stage than eighth after two weeks of chasing.”