Marc Madiot praises silver medalist Valentin Madouas: "He rode perfectly, he couldn't have done better"

Who would've thought that in all the French struggling this year, the country hosting this year's Olympic Games would have two men on the podium of a highly anticipated road race. Yet national coach Thomas Voeckler did it once again, finding a way to slip Valentin Madouas and Christophe Laporte onto the podium. Chapeau.

Manager of Valentin Madouas regular season team Groupama - FDJ, Marc Madiot, is known to be very emotive at times when his riders are involved and Saturday was no exception. "It doesn't hurt. It's a bit surprising, but he rode perfectly, he couldn't have done better," he said as a commentator for the French TV station RMC Sport.

"He was smart, he had a head start, and it's a race where you had to have a head start. Valentin likes these races of attrition, difficult, where there is tension and commitment. He's a kind of diesel that never stops. It's not a great year for Valentin Madouas, but when we see his record in 2024, we'll see a silver medal at the Olympics in Paris, so that's not bad," continued Marc Madiot

He also highlighted the '100% success' of coach Thomas Voeckler in this Olympic race. "The first is the best in the race, the second and third are not necessarily the best in the race, but they are still there. We had to be able to anticipate and have the will and determination to do it," concludes the Groupama - FDJ boss.