Thomas Voeckler, coach of the French men's national team, will face as tough a challenge as the riders will face in next year's Olympic road race, uniting the country's best riders in just one short week for the 2021 Tour de France followed by the Tokyo Games They will face. [There are only six days between the end of the Tour and the Olympic road race in Paris next July 18. But with a team that could include Thibaut Pinot, Julien Alaphilippe, Romain Bardet, and Warren Barguil, France is one of the favorites to win the road race in Japan on July 24.

Despite the challenges he faces in putting together a national team of riders, it is one he already has to deal with this season, with only one week between the end of the Tour de France on September 20 and the world championship road race on September 27. [Since the 2021 Tour was scheduled to end on July 25 (the day after the Olympic road race), Voeckler is grateful that the AMO and UCI have taken steps to move up the Tour next year to start on June 26 and end on July 18. Brittany could potentially replace Denmark as the host of the Grande Paix, but Denmark has been unable to reschedule the Grande Paix because of a conflict with a soccer match in Copenhagen in late June.

"The fact that there is only one week between the end of the Tour and the Olympic road race doesn't bother me too much," Voeckler told L'Equipe this week. 'Maybe some riders will struggle, but riders like Thibaut Pinot rode well in the Tour and will be able to perform next Sunday.'

"I think the more problematic thing is that it makes it more difficult to build a real team spirit during the week," Voeckler admitted. The riders who are part of the national team in this competition are usually going to be adversaries for the rest of the year."

"The riders who are part of the national team in this competition are usually going to be adversaries for the rest of the year.

"Two months," he said, "gives us time to step back and correct any tensions that may arise." He refers to the normal period between the end of the Tour and the World Championship road race."

"But just a week after the Tour, the rivalries are still fresh and will be more complicated when everyone works 100 percent as a group.

For now, Voeckler is content to let things run their course, and says that the hilly road race course of this year's World Championships, which will be held exactly one week after the finish of this year's Tour, could serve as a dress rehearsal for next year He said.

He also hinted that some changes are afoot for next year, most likely involving Bardet, who is rumored to be leaving AG2R La Mondiale and eyeing Sunweb as his new home.

"Some players are moving teams, but all are focused on the second half of this "new" season.

First of all, the World Championships road race is coming up this year, and Voeckler is seriously considering its selection.

"Of course, there are some standout protagonists," he said, naming Pinot, Bardet, and Alaphilippe. 'But this is a special year and I want to see what their fitness levels are like.'

"We also want to see if a player like David Gaudou (Groupama-FDJ) can reach the level of the other three by then. Besides, I don't intend to make up a team with just a leader. The most important thing is team spirit."