Voeckler still the home hero in the Vendée

It was hard to avoid Thomas Voeckler in the Vendée in the days leading up to the Tour de France. The Europcar rider’s image was used heavily in advertising the Grand Départ in the region and the giant hoardings featuring Voeckler in the yellow jersey were clearly aspirational in their tone.

Barry Ryan
Head of Features

Barry Ryan was Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.