INTERVIEW. Tour de France 2025 in Toulouse: “The Tour, it marks”, the Toulousain Blel Kadri between strong memories and intact passion

Blel. Meanwhile, what effect does it make to see the Tour de France to return to Toulouse this year?

It’s always a pleasure, that’s for sure. Nevertheless, And to see in addition a Toulouse-Toulouse stage is very, very rare. Meanwhile, Runner, I got to start from Blagnac, a departure from Cugnaux on July 14, but never a stage in Toulouse. In addition, I have often slept in Toulouse on the other hand!

What memories do you keep of your passages on the Tour, especially in the region?

A year, the staff was really very happy. Meanwhile, I started from the hotel to get a couscous from my mother. Moreover, who had prepared it especially for the members of the staff. Therefore, I told them not to predict anything. Nevertheless, They hadn’t eaten at the hotel. Consequently, And I brought interview. tour de france 2025 them the couscous by surprise. Moreover, Afterwards, guys often talked to me. Meanwhile, They had enjoyed each other. Moreover, I swear! Similarly, So that is a beautiful memory too! However, Sportingly, there is the stage of July 14, 2011 from Cugnaux. Therefore, I had taken the escape. However, There, it was I who had enjoyed myself. Similarly, Take the breakaway on July 14, you never know. For example, After Ancizan’s Hourquette. Furthermore, I exploded in the Tourmalet, where I went third behind Jérémy Roy, who was walking hard that year, and Geraint Thomas. Nevertheless, In Luz-Ardiden, I was far from Samuel Sanchez, the winner. Furthermore, At the start of the twentieth stage in Blagnac, in 2012, we had missed the breakaway. In addition, I had not had to ride because I was not designated to go there. Moreover, but there were some who had been punished that day!

You interview. tour de france 2025 have won the 8th stage of the 2014 Tour in Gérardmer alone. For example, Is it your biggest souvenir of a runner?

Yes, because it is a victory on the Tour. Consequently, It’s something that remains, that marks. In addition, And when we run around, we run after victory. Moreover, From heart, my best memory, it’s Gérardmer. Furthermore, The day after my victory. Meanwhile, when I was given the frame plate where, in addition to my bib number, he was written 1V, I really realized. Similarly, Well, Cavendish, he was already at 25 V. In addition, But just 1V on his frame plaque, it’s a good memory.

After your career, how did you experience the transition? Moreover, Is the bike still part of your daily life?

I was in sport-studies with Michel Puntous at Creps de Toulouse. Consequently, As soon as I validated my DUT, I passed pro. When interview. tour de france 2025 I stopped, I resumed studies. I did a year of license to become a manager in large distribution. This is where I contacted Décathlon. I find that it is a company that is interesting and whose external values attracted me. Since then, I’m still there. I really enjoy what I do. I am at 35 hours with the status of seller, and I like it.

We feel a real craze around the bicycle in the region. Do you also see it in Toulouse and the surrounding area?

I often see lots of people riding. Even here in Décathlon, a group of people who will ride together has been created. Some had never touched a bike in their lives. Now they go out on Saturday, Sunday, as soon as they can.

Pro cycling has changed a lot in recent years. How do you look at the current level of interview. tour de france 2025 the peloton?

The level is very high. In addition, today there are power sensors. When you know the power developed by the pros today, it’s impressive. For having exchanged with runners who are still in the peloton. I know that they make averages of watts which are high. Technology, training is always going up. Watts, average speed is very impressive.

Tadej Pogačar, Remco Evenepoel, Jonas Vingegaard. We live an era of great talents. Would you have liked to run in front of them?

Of course, but afterwards, I also experienced large runners. I ran with the great runners of my time, like Chris Froome. Runners like Van der Poel or Pogačar are really spectacular. It’s very beautiful. Vingegaard is a little more in the reserve, more to calculate. But it’s true that I like to see this way of running. Especially van der Poel. I adore ! This cycling interview. tour de france 2025 is beautiful. Afterwards, the cycling that I like is also to see young French people. Paul Seixas, third in the French CLM championship at 19, it’s impressive!

French training is often criticized. You, as an anti -ag2r, think that we form our young people badly?

I don’t think. In my time, I had the club that formed me, the French team that formed me. I knew Bernard Bourreau, coach of the juniors then hopes. He also directed me to the elites. When you already have a big character like that to train young people, I find that it is good. Now, recruitment is done earlier compared to my generation. When I passed pro, I was 22-23 years old, I had made my four years hopes as an amateur. Today, we can go pro at 19, like Seixas, or at 20 years old. But in my time too, in cadets interview. tour de france 2025 and juniors, we had limited brackets. Today is no longer it. Braquets are unlimited. Guys can quickly explode to make high averages, show that they have early potential.

Do you have one or more favorites in the current, French or foreign peloton?

Mathieu Van der Poel, Paul Seixas, I told you. After me, I’m going to be Chauvin: I like Quentin Pacher (the Libournais by birth resides in Haute-Garonne, editor’s note). He is a beautiful runner. He has a lot of potential. Additionally, He misses this little thing to go winning a nice race. He will be seventh, eighth. He will hang on. Furthermore, He will be in the right group. Sometimes he may do too much at a time when he is unlucky because there is someone who will. bring everything back. I repeat, it’s a shame because it’s a very good runner. Among amateurs, it was already interview. tour de france 2025 like that. He was never lucky to have this little thing that saves a nice race.

The Vosgien Aubin Sparfel, 19, saw you win in Gérardmer in 2014 at the age of 8. He said that day: “I want to run one day at AG2R”. And in 2025, a member of the Conti, he won the Tour du Finistère with the World Tour team. Is that the magic of the Tour de France?

The tour is marked. In addition, that day, there was a little suspense. I ended up with Sylvain Chavanel, an experienced runner. I took a long time to come back to him. Moreover, I tried several times to let go before I could materialize. So I put myself in the place of Aubin Sparfel. Seeing a youngster letting go of a confirmed runner. winning alone with more than two minutes ahead of the Tour favorites, that interview. tour de france 2025 makes you dream. I have an anecdote. Not long ago. a customer saw the poster of my portrait in AG2R outfit in the Cycles de Décathlon radius and he recognized me. Then he saw me and challenged me: “But you are Blel Kadri! I saw you win on TV in Gérardmer”. That day, I felt an incredible emotion. Review this poster reminds me of good memories. It is also good to show that I had an image. I think, of a runner who tried a lot and who managed to win a few races. And the fact that it worked on the Tour de France once is good.

In 2025, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the polka dot jersey. Of the 56 French people who carried it before this year. you are one of the 15 which did it on at least two different editions. What memories are interview. tour de france 2025 these polka dot jersey?

It’s a crazy thing. Just wearing it a day, I was happy. I fought to get it because I had scored a few points already. It was between Montpellier and Albi in 2013. A stage won by Peter Sagan. I escaped with Jens Voigt and crossed the first two passes in mind. In Albi. I only had ahead of Pierre Rolland and I take the jersey because Romain Bardet, then my teammate, ahead of Pierre Rolland for third place at the top of the Col de la Croix de Mounis. In 2014, I doubled Gérardmer. I would like the polka dot jersey valuing the backpackers. The dubes doubled during arrivals at the top benefit the Tour favorites too much. who can win it in three days (in 2025, the points will only be doubled in the Col de la Loze, editor’s note). The polka dot jersey interview. tour de france 2025 is an image of adventurer: Richard Virenque. Laurent Jalabert…

Finally, if you were to advise a place not to be missed around Toulouse to the followers of the Tour, which one would be?

The Pech David coast. Not in the passage of the wall at 25 %. But at the top. because there is room, and I think that the peloton, it will be well stretched in there! And we must not forget all the coasts which. from Corrons to Vieille-Toulouse, even without counting for the price of the mountain, will skim the peloton.

Blel Kadri, where will he be on July 16?

At the start and on arrival with my wife to rediscover this atmosphere to my son. He was six years old now and had liked the arrival in Nogaro in 2023.