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Voeckler to be named coach of French national team

By Cycling News

published 29 June 2019

Retired pro will replace Cyrille Guimard in 2020

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Arnaud Demare hanging out with Thomas Voeckler at the start(Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Thomas Voeckler (Direct Energie)(Image credit: Getty Images)

Thomas Voeckler and Daryl Impey (Mitchelton-Scott) at the start of stage 1 at the Criterium du Dauphine(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Thomas Voeckler wins a stage of the Tour de Yorkshire(Image credit: Welcome To Yorkshire)

Thomas Voeckler (Direct Energie)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Retired pro Thomas Voeckler will take over the job as head coach of the French national road team from Cyrille Guimard starting in 2020, according to a report on LeDauphine.com on Saturday.

Voeckler brings curtain down on career on Champs-Élysées

From Hinault to Alaphilippe, Cyrille Guimard back in action

Voeckler will join Guimard, who took the job in 2017, for the UCI Road World Championships in Yorkshire this year and then take over completely ahead of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo and the world championships in Aigle-Martigny, Switzerland.

Voeckler declined to comment for Cyclism'Actu, telling the French website that he would wait until after the official press conference at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday. That announcement is expected before the start of the French road race championships in Hague-Fouassière.

Voeckler raced for 17 years as a pro, starting in 2000 with the Bonjour team of Jean-René Bernaudeau, and spent his entire career racing for Bernaudeau's teams. Known for his aggressive racing and his animated facial expressions while attacking on the bike, Voeckler twice wore the yellow jersey at the Tour de France for a total of 10 days.

Voeckler scored 44 wins in his pro career, including four stages at the Tour de France, as well as the GP Ouest France, the GP Cycliste de Quebec and a stage and the overall at the Tour de Yorkshire in 2016.

Since retiring in 2017, Voeckler has been training in management at the Centre of Sports Law and Economics [CDES] in Limoges, according to LeDauphine.com.