Thomas Voeckler

'We are not racing to make someone lose, but for the French team to win,' says French national team coach Thomas Voeckler.

David Gaudu and Benoît Cosnefroy miss out on selection.

Thomas Voeckler and his two famous spells in the yellow jersey during his long career converted him into a national hero to beleaguered French fans.

While Voeckler was never considered one of the strongest riders in the peloton, he was revered as one of the smartest.

This year’s climb-riddled Tour appears perfectly suited for the 30-year-old hopeful.

Sports minister suggests a phased return to racing in France would be needed before Tour, though social distancing measures are still in place.

The final kilometer of Thursday's climb to La Planche des Belles Filles includes a mix of gravel road and chip seal. Does gravel cycling have a place at the Tour de France?

France’s Thomas Voeckler turns the pedals for the last time at the 2017 Tour. He intends to savor his final moments on the bike.

On Wednesday night, Thomas Voeckler, the gregarious, 38-year-old Frenchman announced his intention to retire after the 2017 Tour de France.

Colombian sprint phenom Fernando Gaviria wins final stage of Provence tour as Thomas Voeckler hangs on to win overall title.

Thomas Voeckler takes his first win of the season in stage 1 of Le Tour de la Provence in France.

Europcar riders are worried about a reduced racing schedule after the UCI denied the French squad a WorldTour license for 2015

Jelle Wallays and Thomas Voeckler, survivors of an early break, battled for the victory in Paris-Tours

France announces its preliminary roster for road world championships

Former French champion appears to have hurt his left shoulder, was taken to hospital in Limoges for tests

The top favorites for the Tour de France will square off for the first time all season at the Dauphiné across the French Alps

The Frenchman said he has a “soft spot” for the eight-day race in his home country

The Frenchman was on a training ride when he crashed into a parked car

The Frenchman and his Europcar teammates are in the field for the January 19-26 event in Australia

Several close calls have resulted in zero victories thus far in the 2013 edition of the race

Europcar rider is the first person from Quebec to ever compete in the race

The 25-year-old won the opening stage at the Criterium du Dauphine and held the leader's jersey for three days

Thomas Voeckler's stage win at Critérium du Dauphiné is a good omen for his Europcar team heading into the Tour de France

Frenchman wins on home soil as four breakaway riders survived to the finish

The Belgian, who says he is familiar with the five-day route, left the Amgen Tour of California to attend the birth of his second child

Fabian Cancellara and a slew of first-time winners came out on top in the classics, but who didn't?

Two-day, three-stage race in Corsica provides riders a preview of the opening stages of this summer's Tour

Chavanel will ride the time trial and road race in the Limburg world championships

Thomas Voeckler didn't hold much hope for polka dots Wednesday morning, but attacked his way into the jersey on the Tourmalet

Voeckler: "I lost a lot of time in the first week, and that has given me the opportunity to attack unhindered"

Frenchman wins his second stage of this Tour after long-range attack

Caley Fretz has a look at the steed of the King of the Mountains leader

It is difficult to imagine a breakaway more popular than the one that contested the finish of Wednesday’s stage 10

French hero sees the depths as fans boo him roadside as he rides to third career Tour win

Come July, race fans can count on roadside sunflowers, first-week crashes, and Thomas Voeckler sticking his nose in the wind on the attack

Frenchman wins Grand Colombier stage from a long breakaway and Bradley Wiggins pushes back against downhill attacks

French hero of the 2011 Tour feel sharp pain in his injured knee and may abandon the race

L'Equipe website says inquiry opened last year, but judicial site says otherwise

Sky can take green and yellow at Tour, says Cavendish; Gesink to race Tour of California; Voeckler clearing his head in Africa

Voeckler pleased with Amstel ride; Terpstra on Olympics list; Vanendert so close

Voeckler plays head games; Sperry surprises at Brabantse Pijl; Bauke Mollema hopes for rain on Sunday

In an exclusive video interview from Brakethrough Media, Thomas Voeckler talks about the importance of his first win in 2012, but says it doesn't necessarily mean success for the Ardennes classics

Thomas Voeckler piloted his Colnago C59 to eighth at the Tour of Flanders and a win on Wednesday at De Brabantse Pijl

Frenchman wins Ardennes prelude with bold solo attack

PARIS (AFP) ― Tour de France stars Thomas Voeckler and Sylvain Chavanel will spearhead France's bid for the coveted rainbow jersey at the world road race cycling championships in Copenhagen later this month.

COL DU GALIBIER, France (VN) — Thursday’s gigantic stage 18 at the Tour de France was all about survival, whether that was simply to stay in the race and fight a more strategic battle to remain in the race for the yellow jersey.

GAP, France (AFP) - Tour de France leader Thomas Voeckler admitted to being put in trouble Tuesday after a surprise attack by reigning champion Alberto Contador threw the yellow jersey race wide open.

Thomas Voeckler's custom yellow Colnago C59

No French rider has won the Tour de France since Bernard Hinault in 1985. A French rider hasn't reached the final podium since Richard Virenque in 1997. That's a long time to wait and French fans and media are fanning the fires of Voeckler fever.

No one was more surprised that Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) kept the yellow jersey Saturday than Voeckler himself.

Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad) won Wednesday's stage 11 of the 2011 Tour de France, a 168km sprinters' stage that concluded in Lavaur, the final stage before the Tour enters the Pyrenees on Thursday.

CARMAUX, France, July 12, 2011 (AFP) - Frenchman Thomas Voeckler said he is under no illusions over his guardianship of the Tour de France yellow jersey as the race heads steadily towards the Pyrenees mountains.

The same afternoon that Philippe Gilbert was winning the Flèche Wallonne atop the notorious Mur de Huy last Wednesday, another French-speaking rider was taking a hilltop stage victory at the Giro del Trentino in the Dolomite mountains of Italy. That would be Thomas Voeckler, the current French national champion, notching (like Gilbert) his sixth win of the year and cementing his leadership of the 2011 UCI Europe Tour.

Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) won Wednesday's second stage at the Giro del Trentino in northern Italy in an intense battle to the line.

Thomas Voeckler wins the 34th edition of Cholet-Pays de Loire, round two of the Coupe de France.

A day after just falling short in a breakaway effort, French national champion Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) got in right with victory in Wednesday’s 191km seven-climb fourth stage at Paris-Nice when a four-man breakaway stayed clear of the fast-chasing peloton.

Thomas Voeckler wins the Tour du Haut Var after finishing second in the final stage.

GP Quebec winner Thomas Voeckler will skip the world championships. The team's coach says without him, France lacks a star.

UPDATED: The French champion surges in the final kilometer to hold off Boasson Hagen and an inspired Ryder Hesjedal.

Schleck had them right where he wanted them ... until he dropped his chain.

Recently crowned French national champion Thomas Voeckler will lead Bouygues Telecom while Cofidis brings a squad full of stage-hunters.

Many national jerseys changed hands Sunday as many European countries held their championship road and time trial events.