Tour de France (opens in new tab) and Ineos Grenadiers (opens in new tab) remembered Nicolas Portal before the start of stage 9 (opens in new tab) in Pau, where his wife and children were at the outdoor Tour de France museum for the unveiling of the latest totem They attended and then stood with the Ineos riders at the stage start line.

The yellow totem recalls Egan Bernal's victory in 2019, and a photo of the portal was among the images chosen to remember the race.

Portal passed away in early March at only 40 years old from a heart attack after suffering an irregular heartbeat during his working career. He was a professional athlete for 10 years, competing for Caisse d'Epargne, AG2R, and Sky before becoming a directeur sportif for Team Sky in 2011.

He was part of Team Sky when Bradley Wiggins won the 2012 Tour de France (open in new tab), then Chris Froome (2013, 2015-2017), Geraint Thomas (2018), and last year Egan Bernal won and Team After the name was changed to Team Ineos, he served as the team's coach.

"He was with me through difficult times, picked me up whenever I doubted myself, and encouraged me toward every success. He truly left a phenomenal legacy," Chris Froome said at the time of Portal's death.

Before the stage, the Ineos Grenadier team posted a touching video on social media in memory of Portal, a rider from Auch, southwest France. Many of the team's riders re-posted the video, each offering their personal condolences.

The riders then lined up at the front of the peloton before the start, with Portal's widow Magaly, their two children, Renee and Einoa, and Dave Brailsford, the team manager of the Ineos Grenadiers.