"You can't imagine what a Grand Départ brings, it's an incredible opportunity".
A well-known amateur racer in the 1970s and 80s, with a string of victories to his name (Tour de la Réunion, Polynord...) and three podium finishes in the amateur Paris-Roubaix between 1977 and 1982, Alain Deloeuil was quick to put his experience at the service of professional racers. A long-standing sports director with Cofidis since its creation in 1997, he has contributed to the team's many successes.
A fine strategist, he has guided many talented riders to victory. David Moncoutier's success in the 2004 Tour de France in Figeac is well worth remembering: "David is in a breakaway with two Spanish riders (Flecha and Martinez) who are at war with each other, and I calm him down by telling him that we only have one chance to get away, not two. I tell him we're going to have to be very strong on the final climb with 10 kilometers to go, and above all we're going to have to make the descent at a hellish pace to maintain the lead we'd gained on the climb. David followed the plan to the letter, attacking on the climb and then making a fabulous descent to the finish. David wasn't a good descender, and we feared for him around every bend, but on this day he put on a great show to win the stage by two minutes. We were right behind him, in the front row, privileged spectators. It was an exceptional moment for David and the team! I had tears in my eyes!
A majestic Grand Depart
Alain Deloeuil, who lives in Famars in the Valenciennois region, in the heart of the cobbled sectors of Paris-Roubaix, has a very precise analysis of the Grand Départ of the Tour 2025 in Lille: "There's no doubt that Lille is going to pull out all the stops, it's going to be a majestic Grand Départ. He adds: "You can't imagine what a Grand Départ can do for a city or a region. All eyes are on the Tour, which, along with the soccer World Cup and the Olympic Games, is the most watched event in the world! And the Tour is every year!
No cobblestones between Valenciennes and Dunkerque and a clear opinion
A man of the North, Alain Deloeuil has one stage in particular ticked off his agenda: the one from Valenciennes to Dunkirk. "This stage, scheduled for Monday July 7, is dividing observers. I've heard people say that a stage without cobbles isn't the Nord. I don't totally agree, because in the not-too-distant past, during a stage of the Tour de Cambrai, many leaders fell off the cobbles in the early days of the race.
"Let's not forget that Le Tour is 21 stages, and we can't make the peloton take ill-considered risks from the third onwards, especially as on this Valenciennes-Dunkerque stage, if there were to be cobbles, we'd have them in the first few kilometers, and from a sporting point of view there's no point," he adds. A young retiree from cycling, Alain Deloeuil's expertise is nonetheless highly appreciated. While our interviewee is not yet sure exactly what role he will play next July, one thing is certain: he'll be thrilled by the Grande Boucle!