Elia Viviani reached Roubaix directly from France, from Morbihan where he finished the stage on Sunday French Cup missing the final victory of the challenge by only 16 points, despite being the rider who won the most races, three in a tournament comprising 16 stages, revolutionized in the calendar given the pandemic situation of the first months.
This is no small achievement: we must consider the importance the Coupe de France has on the other side of the Alps, where for 30 years it has been a cornerstone of all transalpine activity. To understand a little more, we spoke with Roberto. Damiani, sports director of the Cofidis, the team of the Olympian from Verona discovering that it is not a very simple commitment to follow: «The Coupe de France is very popular across the Alps, it is a bit of a cornerstone of the activityAll national teams are obliged to participate and this is not always a good thing."
Tell us why…
The number of races is significant, it starts in January with La Marsellaise and ends in late OctoberOften the races coincide with other events, perhaps directly included in the World Tour, and therefore we are forced to make choices, but participation cannot be ignored, so in some cases we find ourselves with staffing problems.
Are these Challenge events all included in the UCI calendar?
Yes, they must be at least class 1. I always say that participation in the Coupe de France gives honors and burdens and it is often difficult to quantify both…
Can we make a comparison between the Coupe de France and the Coppa Italia?
This is an interesting topic, because there are strong differences. I am convinced that the internal circuit gives a clear picture of the health of a movement.In France, the Coupe is very popular and attracts a large number of participants, considering that each organizer must invite all French teams and others of their choice. In Italy, the problem is much more complex: when you only have 3 professional teams like we do, you can do very little.
The Coppa Italia used to give the winning team automatic entry to the next Giro d'Italia. Are you in favor of this solution?
No, I believe that RCS, like any other organizer, should be free to manage the invitations as it sees fit.The problem with the Italian Cup isn't the prize money, but the participation. Without large numbers and a large number of teams, it can't be expected to be a huge success. In France, between the World Tour and the Professional Tour, there are 10 teams, and the Tour has always managed its invitations independently, without considering the Coupe de France.
Viviani found himself at the top of the standings and followed his development until the end. Was this an early-season objective?
It was a team goal, not his personal one, but then the objectives change during the process not only based on the development of the challenge. In spring, for example, the Ghent-Wevelgem he was on a course that we felt had been made too tough for his characteristics and we diverted him to the Cholet-Pay de l'Oire which Elia won, climbing to the top of the standings. Then he also won the tests of Fourmies and Isbergues.
In the end he finished second, behind Dorian Godon who had one less victory but showed more consistency…
It's like in stage races: often the most consistent rider wins, even if he or she doesn't even win a single stage. The only difference is that here the one who scores the most points wins and Godon scored 16 more, well done to him.
You finished third behind the winners AG2R Citroen and Arkea Samsic. Are you satisfied?
With 3 stage victories it couldn't be otherwise, as mentioned following the development of the Coupe is not at all easy for a World Tour team. Winning is always a pleasure, that's clear, it's the essence of our business, but that doesn't mean it was at the forefront of our thoughts. But a challenge like the Coupe certainly reflects the health of a movement: the French one is doing really well at the moment, but the same can't be said for ours...
