'It's a shame' - Cofidis set to withdraw Bryan Coquard from Vuelta to compete in smaller races in relegation scrap

Updated 02/09/2022 at 11:28 GMT

A recent spate of Covid-19 infections have led to withdrawals from the Vuelta a Espana and other races this season, whch has left some big teams at risk of relegation from the UCI WorldTour. It now appears that Cofidis cyclist Bryan Coquard will miss the rest of the Spanish Grand Tour event to compete at smaller races in order to secure more points.

Covid withdrawals 'could end up being disastrous' at Vuelta

Cofidis rider Bryan Coquard could leave the Vuelta a Espana after the 13th stage on Friday in order to compete elsewhere for UCI World Tour points.

Frenchman Coquard is unlikely to challenge for the Grand Tour title so his team, according to his Italian teammate Davide Cimolai, may withdraw him so he can compete in smaller races in order to pick up more points, reported L’Equipe.

The motivation for that is to ensure that Cofidis are not relegated from the main tour, with several teams currently under threat, including Movistar, EF Education-Easypost, BikeExchange-Jayco, Lotto Soudal and Israel-Premier Tech.

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Part of the reason for some teams’ struggles has been a spate of Covid-19 cases causing teams to suffer mass or surprise withdrawal from tournaments, preventing them from scoring points.

There is a perceived disparity in the amount of points that can be earned at less prestigious tournaments compared to premier events, meaning some teams have staked out places at smaller races in order to ensure they collect maximum points.

Cimolai hit out at the situation, saying: “This Friday, Coquard will return home to participate in other races.”

The 33-year-old continued: “We have to score points, but I think it’s ridiculous. This causes a lot of stress throughout the year. The paradox of the situation is that in small events, many more points can be scored. The points system is a shame. I’m not happy, but I understand the team.”

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Stream La Vuelta live and on-demand on discovery+. You can also watch all the action live on eurosport.co.uk.

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