"The tactics were perfect" - Kévin Vauquelin consolidates himself as leading French climber with Tour du Jura win

After not taking part in the Tour du Doubs, intentions were clear for Kévin Vauquelin. He saved himself to perform in the mountainous Tour du Jura, and has taken another step in his evolution to take the win ahead of Thibaut Pinot and Guillaume Martin.

"The start was a bit complicated, it was hard, but I felt that I was really good at the end. Alessandro [Verre] made a great breakaway, it allowed us not to put a pedal stroke behind, then when I felt it, I left," the 21-year old said in a post-race interview. As the Italian was only caught inside the final ascent, it allowed Arkéa Samsic to save their legs for the crucial moments.

That was specially felt when Vauquelin entered the final ascent, fresh and with the power necessary to fly on the day. "The tactics were perfect, we were always one step ahead, but we especially solid and very united guys in the team. I'm happy to finalize their work," he added.

The Frenchman attacked the main group with just over two kilometers but asserted himself dominantly in the final ascent, beating by a large margin the rest of the field, led by quality climbers Thibaut Pinot and Guillaume Martin. Arkéa's recruitment work is paying off quite a lot and Vauquelin, who won the Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var earlier this year, will be a contender for the Tour de Romandie.