Victor Lafay's success in San Sebastian reported the Cofidis to win on the roads of the Tour de France after 15 years. The rider from Lyon, who turned 27 in January, took home his second win in a major stage race.. So we knocked on the door of Roberto Damiani, sport director of Cofidis and Lafay to tell us about this rider's moment and more.
Fluctuating
After his victory at the 2021 Giro, in the Guardia Sanframondi stage, Lafay's career has had its ups and downs.
«That stage of the Giro – says Damiani – It was a surprise to the outside world, but not to us.The qualities of lafay have always been clear to our eyes, However, he has always had high performance peaks alternating with blackout moments.. He had a difficult period in the final part of 2021, with low-level performances."
What kind of person is he in terms of character?
Victor is a boy who needs moral support, He has old values of friendship and trust which are fuel for himWith him it is better to experience human moments, like a game of cards or chess, rather than doing one more repetition. From this point of view we have a very similar character..
Is that why you feel so good?
I have a great relationship, he's the only one I exchanged a message with before he left for the Tour de France. I told him: «Remember that you are an added value to this team"He thanked me for my trust. There's a great relationship in the team at Cofidis, even among the technicians. We often exchange some opinions between those who are running and those, like me, who are at home.
And how did you see Lafay's victory from home?
Great! I could see the leading group continuing to lose riders, while Lafay was pedaling incredibly well. At that moment, I thought, "Now he's going to give them a hard time." We have always said that one shot is enough to win, but a well-placed one.Even when he won the Giro it was the same. I often told him on the radio: "Just one shot that must kill the race."
The difference between the victory at the Giro and this one at the Tour is that in San Sebastian he remained with the best, resisting the selection.
In that group there was the creme of the Tour, excellent mental and physical endurance was required. He did a great thing, then behind them they mistaken, also considering Van Aert's reaction. But that doesn't take away any credit from Lafay for what he did. One thing that bothered me was that people forgot what he did in the previous stage, BilbaoHe was the one who raised the stakes while the big names were rising again.
While in the third stage he attacked to defend the green jersey…
A nice gesture in my opinion, to respect the race and to maintain an important record.
What kind of feeling did the victory in San Sebastian leave in the team?
Let it suffice for you to know that since I have been in Cofidis, that is since 2019, The number one goal of the season has always been to win a stage at the Tour de FranceWe lived that final kilometer "full throttle" together with Lafay. What followed was a very justified euphoria, but with the will to continueThis enthusiasm must be the right fuel to give your best.
A victory that could be an important step for Lafay…
It's a success that could help him become more consistent; we know how important a Tour win can be, especially for a French rider on a French team. But I don't want it to get too big for your boots.I won't forget the suffering his absence from the Giro brought us. We were accused of not respecting the race, but that's not true. Unfortunately, Lafay was supposed to be one of our key riders and fell ill shortly before the start. We have greatly missed a rider of his calibre in the Giro d'Italia.A Tour victory can't make you forget what came before and what will come after. I'd like to say one last thing...
You're welcome.
Of a rider, and a boy like Lafay, we need to talk about it more often, not just when he wins.
