"They immediately put their trust in me" - Spring revelation Louis Barré aims to reward his team's trust at Tour debut
Cycling
Intermarché - Wanty are not having an ideal year. So much so that the Belgian has to look around their shoulder as the relegation is slowly catching up. But none of what was said applies to Louis Barré who has made an impressive leap in 2025 to become one of the best Classics men in the peloton. Such step up couldn't have been overlooked and the 25-year-old will be heading to his debut Tour de France this summer.
Most impressive was Barré's display on La Redoute during Liege-Bastogne-Liege where he arrived to the foot at the back of peloton to be among the first over top. "The most significant factor in my progress this season is undoubtedly the race calendar established with the team, which is perfectly suited to my profile," Barré explains his improvement in an interview on team website.
The Belgian team saw what no other team did in the young Frenchman: "When I was looking for a change of scenery in 2024, Intermarché - Wanty was the only team to offer me a clear, personalized program, even including a first Tour de France and a real vision for my future. They immediately put their trust in me, giving me a leadership role in tough classics and a stage hunter role in multi-day races."
"This season has been full of new experiences so far, which has allowed me to improve in several areas and even achieve results in races that aren't perfectly suited to me, like my podium finish at Paris-Camembert."
The explosive rider will have two opportunities to test his legs before the Tour: "I look forward to capitalize on my form for the Giro dell'Appennino, the French Championships, and then arrive completely ready for the start of my first Tour de France. I can't wait!"
His coach Frederik Veuchelen adds that the Grande Boucle will be a bit of a step into the unknown for Barré: "The Tour will also be an important step in his development, as he has never raced for more than ten days until now. We hope he will continue to surprise us, as we are certainly not yet at the end of his progression."
Read also
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment