Up to the individual time trial on July 17th, Jean-Christophe Péraud, engineer in Lyon, turned in a flawless performance: he ranked 9th overall in the 2013 Tour, but more importantly was France's leading racer. But when he fell onto an already weakened shoulder just 2 kilometers short of the stage’s end, his determination fell, too: Jean-Christophe will not cross the finish line on the Champs-Elysées this year.
The forced ending took nothing away from the French racer’s stellar performance, who confirmed his potential to join the ranks of the world’s greatest cyclists over the long term. Already, Jean-Christophe finished the Tour de France in 9th place in the overall 2011 ranking. He also stood out during the 2008 Olympic Games by winning the silver medal in the mountain bike event, and he won the French amateur road title that same year.
Luc Oursel, who had the good fortune to bike with J-C. Péraud on several occasions, paid tribute to his performance: “AREVA is proud to have such a high-level athlete as Jean-Christophe within its ranks. For several years now, he has regularly shown what he can do during major cycling competitions. I’m convinced that we’ll see him at the head of the pack again soon.”