Jérémy Roy (FDJ) was in the leading group of the first stage of the Tour de France 2011 today. The stage ended on the Mont des Alouettes with a victory for Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto), as if it was planned like that!

The leading group with Jérémy didn't continue till the finish but what was most disappointing for him was that he didn't get the first Prix Brandt de la combativité (most combative rider) of this 98th Tour de France.

His reaction in an interview!

I was in the leading group from kilometer 0.01, I jumped on with the first attack and I thought this would be the leading group of the day because there were several sprinters teams upfront and several riders of Europcar and Vacansoleil, so I thought that a rider from one of these two teams would be at the initiative of the leading group and would make a break from the rest of the peloton. I thus decided to follow him and that's what happened.

I was thus leading the race rather early. I wanted to break away early, especially for my personal pleasure and because it gives you a boost for your morale. Start the Tour in a good way like this is always good and for the team it's also good to have someone upfront.

We of course didn't think that this leading group would go on until the finish, not for a first stage with a yellow jersey at the end. Everyone wants to have that jersey, even though we saw in Paris-Nice with Thomas De Gendt that it's possible, but it's true we attacked later in the stage. Anyway, we had head wind at the end and we couldn't find a way to trap the peloton, unfortunately!

The end of the stage was quite heavy with several short climbs, following on each other, while the start of the stage was completely flat. At the end it was thus very difficult to stay ahead of the peloton.

What I really regret is that I didn't get the prize for the most combative rider. I thought I could get it because I did most of the efforts, even though the three of us all contributed. I think I regularly boosted the leading group, I accellerated it and did a good part of the job. I didn't want to give everything I had though because the Tour is still long and with the head wind, I actually knew we couldn't keep up. It's a pity but they probably decided to give the prize to the rider who attacked first today.

You've recently become a father of a daughter, Julia. Congratulations! Did you think about her while you were in the leading group?
Yes, of course I thought about her from time to time, but for now she cannot yet watch TV, she's still to young for that. I think it will only become interesting for her when she's able to watch TV.

Of course it's a bit difficult to leave for the Tour for a few weeks so quickly after her birth, but right from tomorrow my wife will come by and that'll do me good, it'll be fun.

What are your other goals in this Tour?
I would like to be in a breakaway which continues till the end and than try to win. I don't really think of a specific stage, I didn't really pick one this year. It of course also depends on the fatigue and my shape at the time I decide to attack ...
And of course I'm here as well to help the other riders of the team.

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