Who Is? December 23.12.2016, XNUMX: The cycling nation of France has long since overcome the crisis. Numerous young talents have been flooding the scene for years. And that in all areas. Two Frenchmen in particular have made a name for themselves in the sprint: Nacer Bouhanni and Arnaud Demare. But another pilot is now on the rise: Bryan Coquard.
Name | Bryan coquard | |
Birthday | 25 April 1992 | |
Place of Birth | Saint Nazaire | |
Nationality | France | |
Size | 169 cm | |
Weight | 60 kg | |
Current team | Direct Energy | |
specialization | hill-proof sprinter | |
Active as an amateur | since 2010 | |
Active as a professional | since 2013 | |
Greatest successes | Train: 2012nd in Omnium at Olympia XNUMX in London) Winner in the Madison at the 2015 World Championships in Yvelines) Winner of the Elimination Race of the EM 2015 in Grenchen) Street: Second at the 23 U2012 World Championships in Valkenburg Winner of the 4 Days of Dunkirk 2016 |
World class on the track, talent on the road
At the age of seven, Bryan Coquard started cycling at the US Pontchâteau Club. Very early on, his main focus was placed on the track competitions, where he immediately achieved results as a youth. In 2009 and 2010, for example, he became Junior World Champion in the Omnium. He won the silver medal at the European Championships in 2011. In 2012 he was allowed to wear the silver medal at the Olympic Games in London. The Europcar team took notice of him as early as 2011 and hired him from 2013. From then on, his concentration shifted more and more to the road, without neglecting his training on the track. In 2015 he celebrated his greatest successes to date: he won gold at the World Championships in Madison and the European Championships in elimination driving. Surprisingly quickly, he was able to project his first successes onto the road. At the latest after he became vice world champion in the U2012 road race in 23, the experts saw a new top talent on the rise.
Little Coquard grows in the shadow of Bouhanni and Demare
In his early years as a pro, Bryan Coquard, now 24, won several one-day races and stages straight away. His most successful tour was to be the Étoile de Bessèges, where he won several stages every season. In 2016 he switched to Team Direct Énergie and celebrated his biggest success on the road to date with the overall victory in the 4 days of Dunkirk. It has not yet been enough to win a WorldTour race. In addition, Bryan Coquard finds it extremely difficult to celebrate outside of France. Of his 29 successes, he secured only three abroad. He didn't attract the attention of cycling fans anyway because of his victories, but because of his top placings in WorldTour races. For example, he finished in the top five seven times in stages of the Tour de France. Since Bryan Coquard, unlike Nacer Bouhanni and Arnaud Demare, has not yet won a major race, he is still overshadowed by them.
Is Bryan Coquard too light for a sprinter?
Not being in the public eye can also have advantages for a driver, no matter how young and talented. In the sprint he is only number three in the country behind Bouhanni and Demare and in the hilly terrain the French are more focused on Julian Alaphilippe. However, this could be a mistake. This season, Coquard finished fourth in both the Brabantse Pijl and the Amstel Gold Race. These were achievements that cannot actually be attributed to a pure sprinter. In any case, the question arises as to whether Bryan Coquard can even become a world-class sprinter with his dimensions. At a height of 169 cm, he weighs between 58 and 60 kg. For comparison: Marcel Kittel (86 kg at 188 cm) and André Greipel (82 kg at 184 cm) put significantly more weight on their bikes. Coquard's measurements are more like those of a mountain climber, such as Joaquim Rodriguez (57 kg at 169 cm) and Nairo Quintana (58 kg at 166 cm). So the prerequisites aren't perfect, but they don't necessarily mean much. After all, there are always exceptions, such as Mark Cavendish (70 kg at 175 cm). Nevertheless, it looks very much like Bryan Coquard will develop into a driver type like Peter Sagan or even Julian Alaphilippe. Either way, we should keep an eye on Bryan Coquard.
Who is...?
Pierre Latour • Julian Alaphilippe • Adam Yates
Steven Kruijswijk • Tim Wellens • Stephen Chaves
Leave a Comment