Tony Gallopin was still a boy the last time France tasted victory in the elite men's World Championship road race. He barely remembers the day Laurent Brochard's mullet and bandana flashed across the line in San Sebastian in 1997 but on Sunday Gallopin and his teammates will have their own chance to repeat that victory.
Of course Brochard's victory is a symbol for a generation that cycling may want to forget but the jersey that France captured that day remains one of cycling's most prestigious prizes.
"You know I was nine then," Gallopin told Cyclingnews this week. "I know the final from that year as I have watched all the World Championships on YouTube but I was too young to really remember that."
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It has been ten years since France even made the podium in the elite men's World race and no rider in the current WorldTour peloton has made the top three since.
"What I know is that France needs and craves a men's World Champion. For the people the Tour means the most but now we need to win a Classic, a Monument or the Worlds. We saw that last year in the women's race. If we can do that as a team it would be wonderful," Gallopin said.
Gallopin starts the race as one of France's options for Sunday, although the squad have other options with Arnaud Démare, Nacer Bouhanni and Julian Alaphilippe. It's a team that lack a clear cut favourite and leader but what they lack in star-studded legends they make up for in grafters, sprinters and opportunists. On a course that could be hard to read, and with a technical finish, these elements could turn out to be key.
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