With two stage victories (Alexis Vuillermoz on stage 2, Valentin Ferron on stage 6), the French TotalEnergies team had a very successful week at the 2022 Critérium du Dauphiné. This bodes well less than three weeks before the start of the Tour de France, and just before Peter Sagan’s return to the forefront (stage victory at the Tour de Suisse). We followed the team for a full day at the Dauphiné to give you a behind-the-scenes look.
Before leaving the hotel, mechanics install the riders’ spare bikes on the roof racks of the sports directors’ cars.The bikes are not mounted randomly; a plan for bike positioning is provided for the vehicle occupants.Nicolas Sourice, the Service Course manager, gives the car a final wipe. This is also important for the team’s image.In the bus, sports director Dominique Arnould gives the final instructions.The riders’ bikes wait at the bus exit.The assistants prepare the bidons, with energy products according to the riders’ requests.In the cooler, some bidons are marked to correspond to specific rider requests.In the bus, final preparations before heading out.Fabien Grellier enjoys a last moment of relaxation before meeting the public.The riders’ bags are marked with their names and are ready to await them at the finish.The riders then head to the signature podium.On this occasion, the team is presented to the public.Sandy Dujardin is happy before starting this second stage of the 2022 Dauphiné. The neo-pro is racing at home on this occasion.On the road, supporters have already anticipated his passage.Before the start of this second stage, Alexis Vuillermoz appears serene. However, the rider from Jura had not won a race since the Drôme Classic in 2019, and fractured his pelvis less than a year ago.Yet he slips into the day’s breakaway and plays a very active role.On the roadside, Blaise Chauvière waits for Alexis Vuillermoz to resupply him.Against all odds, the breakaway maintains its lead over the peloton in the final kilometers. At the end of a very long sprint, Alexis Vuillermoz wins ahead of Anders Skaarseth and Olivier Le Gac, in Brives-Charensac.It’s a moment of relief for one of the best punchers in the French peloton.Immediately after the finish, the Jurassien collapses. He needs to recover but also struggles to comprehend his feat.He is, of course, congratulated by his teammates.On the podium, the former Tour de France stage winner is beaming.On this occasion, he also dons the yellow jersey.The man of the day must respond to journalists’ requests, but the pressure remains less intense at the Dauphiné than at the Tour.A few trophies are to be brought back with the winner’s bike, here in its original state just after the finish.Back at the hotel, the bikes are pampered by the mechanics, with Olivier Boyer here taking care of Sandy Dujardin’s bike.After a thorough cleaning, the bikes are rinsed and then wiped dry.The mechanics are ready for any eventuality, even if they don’t systematically have to reassemble/disassemble bikes on every stage.Time trial bikes are never far away, especially on a week-long race like the Dauphiné, where the time trial can prove decisive for the general classification.For TotalEnergies, the little lion symbolizing the yellow jersey has a special flavor. Opportunities to take the lead in a World Tour race are not that frequent.The next morning, Alexis Vuillermoz prepares to spend a day in yellow. He is seen here putting on his race number, with Edvald Boasson Hagen by his side.The TotalEnergies team takes responsibility during this third stage, riding behind the breakaways to protect Alexis Vuillermoz’s yellow jersey.Unfortunately, the Jurassien cracks on the final climb, and he has to give up his jersey.The next day, in the time trial, he loses more time, but even though he is not a specialist, he states on social media that he enjoys his time trial machine very much.
