Alexys Brunel struck hard from the start of the game. Back in professional platoons 19 months after having broken his contract with Uae Team Emirates, the 26 -year -old northern distinguished himself in his first race of the year, the Classica Camp From Morvelre, a class 2 test which launched the European season this Friday.
Very quickly released in the company of Nils Aebersold (Lidl-Trek Future Racing), Jo Brookes (AVC Aix Provence Dole) and Morne Van Niekerk (St-Michel-Preference Home-Auber 93), he then offered himself a solo number , as he likes so much by leaving in the first of the two climbs of the Alto del Garbi, the main difficulty of the day. There were then more than 50 kilometers left. Perfectly placed on his machine, the chrono specialist stood up to the peloton up to 23 terminals of the goal, four kilometers from the top of the second ascent of the Alto Del Garbi.
Far from being at the end of the force, the Totalnergies runner finally extracted from the main group to get a beautiful 4th place (see classification). Unsurprisingly more combatively elected the Spanish event, he returned to his beautiful day at the microphone of Directive Just before enjoying the protocol ceremony.
Directvelo: What a return!
Alexys Brunel: I'm really happy with the day. I would have preferred a podium or even winning of course but I think I did not believe enough in me. It's my return, I didn't know what it was going to give. The wind played an important role. I quickly found myself on my own from the first of the two climbs. In the descent, I saw that I had progressed well technically. Frankly, thank you the Gravel (laughs). I think we would have gone to the end if I had been accompanied by one or two runners.
You even manage to come out in the final …
As I said, I think I didn't believe enough in myself. I asked “Alex” delettre how he felt, I couldn't gauge myself compared to the others. This is also the case in training, I lost all of my bearings. Finally, I wanted to ride for Alexandre but I went there very strong and I came out unwittingly. I should have believed in myself more. But it's already good for my return, I'm happy. I want to say “Brutus (its nickname) 1, the haters 0” (laughs).
Was it planned to get out of entry?
No, we said that we all had to be active from the start of the race. Rayan (Boulahoite), our youngest runner, put the first attack. I put the second when we resumed his group. I put a beautiful one, it did not take long to go out and I then tried to organize the group. Too bad, there were only four. We had up to almost eight minutes ahead. Trek guy (Nils Aebersold, NDLR) wanted to start in the bump, but he put everything there and crashed. I smoothed my effort and I took it back. I tried to then be as aero as possible. But with the side or front wind, it was impossible. However, I see that I am here, it's important.
Did you hope for such a return?
I trained well. I had a full season in a long distance triathlon, with running, my VO2 Max has evolved a lot. Last year, in Gravel, I did very long shopping where it rolls tempo all day. With my coach Paul Sauvage, we had worked well. And there I work in the same way with the team coaches and I like it. I work well, I am lighter than before and I have more watts. Now, you have to put everything back in place, there is a rhythm to resume because it is still different from the Gravel.
“Maybe I was missing something”
-Did you miss?
Downright. Today, I was happy to be forward. It was perhaps a shame as I was fine, I could have done better by staying in the peloton. With the wind, we put a lot of watts in the air. But as we said in the briefing with the team, it was a day when you had to have fun and it was the case. I'm just happy to be in this team.
What pushed you to come back to the road?
After a Gravel race where I saw that the Watts approached those from UAE, I called my Clément Gourdin agent last August. He told me that he hoped to have this conversation one day. We thought that I was perhaps missing something in my life. I had the ability to come back so why not try. It worked, and if it had not been the case, it would not have been serious. But today I am the happiest in the world. I am happy to have made this decision.
Today, what is your approach to cycling?
I put less pressure, I enjoy more. Before, I did not realize the chance that it was to do this job. I quickly missed it. It's my passion. Training and running, that's what I like in life. I quickly came back. When I stopped, people did not understand that it was a depression but not because of the bicycle. The bicycle was my whole life. It was life next to where it was not going at all. I could no longer reconcile both. Mental health is important, I remain a human. I was the saddest in the world to have to stop. People did not understand, they were not in my situation. I have read messages from people who said that everyone dreamed of being pro but between being cyclo and riding when you want, and doing it every day because it's your job, it's really two different worlds. People quickly forget that it is a job, and today I am very happy to do it.
What would a successful season be?
I can't know how to know too much. I want to be efficient, obviously raise my arms as each runner wants to do it, to give the best of myself and give everything for the team. I want to continue to be happy. I pay attention for example to nutrition but without depriving myself. And as I take all pressure on it, it works alone.
