Sailing’s Tour de France is shaping up as a fratricidal battle between members of the winning Groupama team from the last Volvo Ocean Race. Both Franck Cammas and Thomas Coville, skippering the rival Sodebo team, see a lot of similarities between the Tour and the Volvo and they are relishing the prospect of a month-long battle between former team mates.
Yann Riou/Groupama Sailing Team/Volvo Ocean Race
Cammas, once again skippering Groupama, has two familiar names from the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race alongside him in the Tour – Erwan Israël and Yann Riou.
Coville, meanwhile, is even better supported with Jean-Luc Nélias, Laurent Pagès and Martin Krite alongside him for the race, which started on June 28 and takes the teams around France to a finish in the Mediterranean on July 28.
While obviously a lot shorter, the format is similar to the Volvo, with in-port races followed by offshore legs, and that should make it a fascinating match-up for both teams.
"I did the Tour several years ago, but only as a one-shot thing,” said Cammas. “To sail it all is a real challenge. With its inshore and offshore legs, it reminds us of the Volvo Ocean Race. We will have to be very consistent and capable of improving all the way to the finish in Marseille. In any case I’m excepting a very tight race because the teams are great.”
While it is early days as yet, one of those great rivals is sure to be Coville’s Sodebo.
"I think the Tour could be part of a Volvo Ocean Race team programme,” he says. “It's the perfect back room to build the team, train and arrive on the Volvo start line with a higher competitive level than we had with Groupama.
"Rhythms are similar on both races with both inshore and offshore races. It's the same principle. The ability to move forward after each leg is the same, no matter how good or bad it is. You've got to start over and it's all about questioning yourself mentally, making sure you're continually making progress.”
To follow the race, check out the website HERE.
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