This is a success that he will not soon forget. Because it’s his first Elites, already, and even his first since the Cadets! But also because there certainly won’t be many others. Indeed, Loris Coss has decided to put an end to his cycling career at the end of the current financial year. His victory this Friday during the inaugural stage of the Tour du Pays Roannais (see ranking), in front of his father and grandparents, who accompanied him on the ceremonial podium after the finish, will remain forever etched in his memory. Interview with the member of Charvieu-Chavagneux IC, first yellow jersey of the TPR 2024.
DirectVelo: What does this victory represent for you?
Loris Coss: She’s a pleasure. I’ve been asked to win races for a while now, but I haven’t been able to do it. This time, she’s finally here! I hope this will unlock more. But in any case, I will have won in Elites. I’ve always been a guy who likes working for others more than for myself. Last year I started to play my card because the team insisted that it was the case. And this year, my DS really wanted me to win a race. I’ve had a hard time so far. In the first part of the season, I have never had such a bad year. I was sick, I had lots of physical problems… I missed the Alpes Isère Tour, which is close to my heart more than anything. It was hard. But the wheel is turning.
In what state of mind did you arrive in Roanne?
Sharp, hoping to do the best possible on the three stages. I was thinking about this day because I have always done well on the critos. I knew that it could suit me. Tomorrow (Saturday), it will be a bit tough for me, I was thinking more about Sunday’s stage. But now that I have a leader’s jersey, I will have to fight to defend it. I have never had a leader’s jersey, this will be the first time. I can’t wait to wear the jersey. Well, I would have preferred to defend it on a stage that doesn’t end up on a hill. I will fight but to keep it, it might be a bit tough…
“TO WIN, I HAD TO CULE”
Back to today’s race: how did you build this success in the last kilometer?
I expected it to be Bim Bam Boom the whole race but it wasn’t the case. It wasn’t hard on the wheels so I told myself that it was going to be borderline dangerous in the end. I was worried. I didn’t want to fall or take any risks. But in the end, it was. AC Bisontine then CC Etupes rolled. Romain Arcangeli and Julien Azile Lozach did a crazy job for me in the finale. They did exactly what was needed. I took the lead at 150 meters and did it. To win, I had to be cunning and that’s what I managed to do today.
What do you hope for the second half of the season?
We should race in Belgium in mid-July, at the Province Tour. I really want to go there. Then we will be at the Tour de Guadeloupe in August, it will be a great discovery. There will then be the last big meetings, the Côte d’Or and the last round of the Coupe de France… The end of the season will soon be here. And the very end because I plan to stop at the end of the year. I know I already told everyone last year. I’ll say it again this time (smile). I will be working in a company so it will be complicated to ride a bike. If it happens, we will see me again at races but normally, it will be over at the end of the year. So it’s all the better to win here, with family. It was a pleasure that my father and grandparents were there to see me win. I’m very lucky to have them. It was a pleasure for them to see me win. My mother is missing but she is happy from her sofa (smile). For my part, I’m going to need to find a little calm to realize it but I see that a lot of opponents come to congratulate me and are happy for me, that’s cool.
