Persistence paid off for Team FdJ in Paris today, when 28-year-old Jeremy Roy stepped onto the podium to accept the prize for most combative rider in the Tour de France.
The final podium appearance was the highlight for FDJ, a team that seemed intent on stepping onto as many podiums as possible. They were present in every early breakaway of the Tour, with Roy and fellow Frenchman Mickael Delage being the primary protagonists. The duo picked up nearly 200 sprint points between them, earned from their breakaways alone. Roy and Delage also earned a combined four stage combativity prizes, while team leader Sandy Casar added to their tally for his performance in stage 14.
On stage 12, the first big mountain stage to Luz Ardiden, Roy and Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) were caught with 8 kilometers to go on the 13.5 kilometer final climb. The following day, before a 156-kilometer run to Lourdes that took on the Col d’Aubisque, Roy was heard quietly saying, “I’m so tired today, I don’t even think I can finish the stage.” Just a few hours later, Roy dropped breakaway partner Thor Hushovd (Garmin-Cervelo) on the Aubisque. Off the summit, the road dropped down 42 kilometers to the finish in Lourdes. Roy was caught in agonizing fashion by the Norwegian within sight of the finish line.
Still searching for his first Tour stage win, Roy mumbled after that stage, “Perhaps one day I will look back on this stage as a great effort, but at the moment I feel too disappointed to see it that way.”
Though he finished the Tour without his sought-after win, Roy could take solace in being voted the most aggressive rider of this year's Grande Boucle. “It is not an easy thing to earn the most aggressive rider prize,” Roy commented after today’s finish. “I committed to this award and I honored it today (with an attack on the Champs Elysees).”
Roy spent nearly 700 kilometers on the road in front of the peloton. Along with his gutsy moves on stages 12 and 13, he was on the attack in the Tour’s first stage, as well as stage 4. He also illuminated other stages with a variety of smaller accelerations. “I started with a breakaway in Vendee, and I also ended here with a breakaway, but I still did not win,” Roy concluded.
Even without the win, Roy could look on his Tour de France and smile. “I attacked on the first and last days and six times in total. To receive this trophy on the Champs Elysees by myself, it’s beautiful. Obviously, this is my best Tour.”
FDJ director Marc Madiot also gave high marks to his team’s performance. “We are honored to get the award for fighting spirit, and we marked the Tour with our escapes,” Madiot stated.
“Arnold (Jeannesson) finished 15th in his first Tour and wore the white jersey. We grabbed a polka dot jersey with Jeremy, and we finished 9th in the team standings. From the start in Vendee, this is what we wanted.”