Kim Le Court would do it again
Good morning,
These are today's quotes and interviews worth your time, nothing else.
This stood out to me today: "I watch every single bike race, start to finish, and I love them so much that when I'm on the trainer, I watch them at .75 speed to stretch them out longer."
¡Vamos!
🎤 INTERESTING INTERVIEWS
“It will seem strange but the day of the Col de la Madeleine was special, something I will always remember and carry in my heart forever.”
Kim Le Court on sacrifice, recognition, and African talent
Kim Le Court received one of Mauritius's highest state honours on the country's Independence Day (12 March), the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean. In a recent conversation on the Africa Rising Cycling podcast, she reflected on the moment that defined her 2025 season. The Col de la Madeleine stage at the Tour de France Femmes, where she ceded the yellow jersey after four days to work for teammate Sarah Gigante, was not a regret. "Working and 'sacrificing' myself for Sarah meant a lot," she said. "It was the only time I could give back to my teammates and the team what they had done for me in every other race. I chose to do it. It gave me special feelings, and I would do it again without hesitation."
She also described the strange experience of processing that week after the fact. "The Tour de France Femmes was very exciting for me, even if perhaps I didn't show it in public," she said. "When I got home I wanted to rewatch all the stages because I couldn't remember the moments on the bike and what happened in front of the cameras. But I had every single backstage moment with my teammates clearly in my mind, the small things."
On her overall progress, she was measured: "Knowing I'm among the best ten cyclists in the world is really nice. Now the difficulty is staying at the top. I know I still have to improve, especially on the mental side, which is as important as physical condition. I'm working on it."
Le Court then turned her attention outward. She spoke about Kahsay Kiros, the Ethiopian junior who finished seventh at the Kigali Worlds and is now with CANYON//SRAM Generation, and about Mauritian talents Lucie de Marigny-Lagesse and Alexandre Mayer. The message was direct: "In Africa there are many athletes who have potential. I think it's necessary to look outside the group to discover talented athletes who need people willing to believe in them and help them emerge."
“I have something in mind to leave my mark, in the rainbow jersey”
Magdeleine Vallieres on wearing the rainbow jersey and learning to be a leader
Speaking to Bici.pro ahead of the Trofeo Alfredo Binda, the world champion was candid about how much has changed and how much she is still figuring out. "Some riders have changed their opinion because before I was more tied to the team, more focused on working for my teammates. Now maybe they respect me a bit more in the group. Now they know a bit better who I am and maybe they give me a bit more space."
On the pressure that comes with the jersey, she was honest about her inexperience in the role. "I've never held that role of leader in the past, so for me it's more about managing it and facing the pressure to try to give my best. But I also know I have a lot to learn and I want to keep improving. I use it more as motivation than as something negative."
She also confirmed that Giro d'Italia reconnaissance is planned immediately after the Trofeo Alfredo Binda. "I have something in mind to leave my mark, in the rainbow jersey."
On what her Worlds victory triggered in Canada: "I heard that many girls started joining clubs, practising cycling and getting interested in it. That's truly exciting, perhaps the real effect of my success."
“What Seixas does takes me back to the time when Jan Ullrich won the Tour de France at 22.”
Belgian national coach Serge Pauwels on Widar, Seixas, and the danger of unfair comparisons
After Seixas's second place at Strade Bianche, WielerFlits asked Belgian national coach Serge Pauwels to address the growing gap in public perception between Seixas and Jarno Widar, the two talents who went head-to-head at the Tour de l'Avenir last September. While Seixas ultimately took overall victory, it was Widar who won both mountain stages. This left many to believe the two were equally matched heading into the 2026 season. Since then, however, it is Seixas who has firmly established himself as one of the sport's most exciting young names, while Widar has remained largely under the radar.
Pauwels was quick to add context to that result. "I remember there were doubts about whether Seixas was fit. Apparently he had been a bit ill just before the race. Maybe we shouldn't fixate so much on that week. Even without top form he won two time trials and the overall. While Widar was able to use his better punch on the uphill finishes. That gave a distorted picture."
The concern for Pauwels is that Widar is burdened by comparisons he cannot win. "He must not measure himself against Seixas's races. That is an unfair comparison. What Seixas is doing reminds me of Ullrich at 22. We all thought that was very early back then. And now we're talking about someone who is 19." His advice to Widar was specific: "He must set intermediate goals for himself and be satisfied with the intermediate steps he is making in his career. He must absolutely not forget to be genuinely happy with what he is achieving right now. If he keeps looking at himself, however difficult that is, he will keep improving, in small, perhaps slightly slower steps."
🏆 THE SERGE BAGUET AWARD
Not awarded today
Wonder what The Serge Baguet Award is all about? Check it out here.
💬 QUICK QUOTES
“I can say that Pogačar won his first Tour while eating pizza, drinking beer, and playing PlayStation.” — Domen Novak in Siol.net on why you can't really compare the 19-year-old Pogačar to Seixas.
“Learning English is completely new to me, and it isn't easy to learn from scratch, but it's going well.” — Bruno Armirail on one of his challenges settling in at Team Visma Lease a Bike.
“Apart from the Tour of Flanders and Roubaix, I still have to figure out what I'm going to ride.” — Wout van Aert when asked whether he'll start in Dwars door Vlaanderen, via HLN.
“My heart breaks having to miss the most important races of the year.” — Thibau Nys, after undergoing knee surgery, via HLN.
“I watch every single bike race, start to finish, and I love them so much that when I'm on the trainer, I watch them at .75 speed to stretch them out longer. Or if it's a cycling podcast, I'll listen to it more slowly so I can listen longer. I want an hour and a half, not an hour. I love it.” — Sarah Gigante of AG Insurance-Soudal, speaking to Daniel Benson.
“I don't really like stages that finish after a descent and this was quite dangerous, so I just wanted to get to the finish safely.” — Jonas Vingegaard explaining why he didn't go for the stage win in Paris-Nice, via WielerFlits.
“If you start to lose that winning mentality, you might as well stop racing.” — Michael Valgren after his first win in five years, via CyclingNews.
“His focus at the European Championships will be on the road race. At the World Championships in Canada he will go for both titles again.” — Belgian national coach Serge Pauwels confirming Remco Evenepoel will target only three of the four major championships this year, via WielerFlits.
That's it for today. See you tomorrow 👋
Jay