Kévin Vauquelin at the start of the Vuelta Ciclista a España
In consultation with the Arkea-Samsic team, Kévin Vauquelin will compete in the first Grand Tour of his career, on the occasion of the Vuelta Ciclista a España (26 August to 17 September).
Photo GettyImages
“In total agreement with the sports management of the Arkea-Samsic team, we have taken the following decision: I will ride the Vuelta Ciclista a España 2023 as my first Grand Tour. This event was the first three-week event for many riders of the ‘new generation’, who are now performing at the highest level, especially on the roads of the Tour de France. Of course our national Tour motivates me and gives me a great desire, it attracts me, but for this year, my age and the career plan that we have set with the Arkea-Samsic team have been taken into consideration. The Vuelta Ciclista a España will allow me to get my bearings in a three week event, to get my first experience at this level. I have ambitions for this competition as I do every time I put a number on my jersey, even if there will be a lot of unknowns for me this summer on the Iberian roads, but I hope to get rid of them as the race goes on. However, before this great event, I still have a lot of great races to ride, especially in France”.
“Kévin Vauquelin has made a very promising start to the 2023 season and the question of his participation in the Tour de France was legitimately raised. As a hopeful of French cycling and of our team, we nevertheless have a well established career plan for him, and so, in consultation with the sports team and himself, the decision was taken that he would take part in the Vuelta Ciclista a España this summer, as many riders of the new generation have done before him. The exposure for Kévin will necessarily be less than in our country, even if it will be present, of course. This Grand Tour, which he wants to discover at a very young age, will allow him to get his bearings, to measure himself against a high level competition. The objective is to give him the means to assert himself as a leader in construction on the occasion of this Vuelta Ciclista a España, before doing the same in the very short term on the roads of the Tour de France”.