Yannick Talabardon is a French former professional cyclist. He retired in 2013 after spending 12 years in the sport riding for three different teams, including the famous Crédit Agricole squad. Talabardon has spent the last ten years working for the Amaury Sports Organisation, the organiser of the Tour de France, and now works in the role of assistant race director for Paris-Nice and other major races on the men's and women's WorldTour calendars.
What got you interested in cycling at the start? What made you decide to pursue becoming a professional rider?
I initially became interested in cycling because of my father, he was always interested in the sport when I was younger and he would would often try to encourage my interest too. He did a lot of sportive riding in different parts of France, and he also always watched the Tour every year without fail no matter what. Me and my brother got our passion for the sport through him, and we always wanted to race as a result of that exposure in the early days when we were growing up. My brother began riding at 18, he was very strong, and he got to the professional level just three years later. I wanted to do the same, so I began riding at 16 years old and eventually joined the same team as him. So really it's thanks to him and my father that I got interested in our sport.
Was there a particular famous rider who inspired you at the start?
My brother of course! I remember he eventually rode the Tour very quickly after becoming professional. He was my inspiration, I always wanted to do the same. But other than that I would say Laurent Jalabert.
What would you have done if cycling hadn’t worked out?
Ah that’s a tough question, that’s always a tough question to answer. I’ve always liked geography and have always been interested in maps and things like that. Maybe I would have gotten into a job where I could work in that area, I’m not sure. I guess that’s kind of what’s happened to me in cycling anyway after I retired.
How did you come to work for ASO after you finished your career?
At the end of my career, I began to study at a school of sports journalism and communication. During the three years I was studying, I needed to arrange and organise some professional training in the industry. I'd always wanted to see the other side of the Tour de France and understand what it was like off the bike, so I eventually contacted Christian Prudhomme and François Lemarchand directly by email just to ask them if they could help me out somehow, I wasn't sure what I could expect or what opportunities there might be with them. We all had lunch together one day to discuss some ideas, and then eventually I started to work with them which then led to some different roles here at ASO over several years until now. It’s been a great journey.
What does your current role involve in relation to the races that ASO organise?
Eventually I was made a job offer to work in Thierry Gouvenou's team, the competition department of ASO. In 2015 I began the role that I am working in now as what we call a sport manager. In the beginning, you are in charge of one race coordination, so you have to do the recon of the proposed route. The second part is that you have to create all the supporting documents for a race, the road book, the press communications on everything in relation to the route, and you are also the link with the teams competing, especially for the start list and everything like that. At the end of that process you move into the race direction itself. I always used to be on the motorbikes as a regulator, but after some time my job took me into the red cars, the famous red cars that we have always had.
t's been about 10 years now that I've worked here and I am now in charge of the Arctic Race Of Norway, and also both the Flèche Wallonne Féminine and Liège–Bastogne–Liège Femmes. Over the years, I have also worked with François Lemarchand on Paris-Nice when he needed it. He eventually began to give me one stage to work on and he would say to me, ‘okay Yannick, you can play with this stage this time. Show me what you can find for the route and everything else and then we'll take it from there,' and then for the last three years he has given me all of the route to work on and develop.
What’s your biggest achievement that you’ve had while working in this capacity? Is there a particular stage of the Tour de France or race route that you’re really proud of?
I think the biggest stage and achievement that I've had was when I was involved in the gravel stage of the Tour de France in Troyes last year. I worked a lot on this. About five years ago, Thierry came to me and said, 'Yannick, we need to find some gravel that we can bring in to the race one day,' he knew that I liked gravel and he had been saying for a long time that we needed to find some white roads in France.
I then found the place we used because during my holidays I often go to the east of France. I knew of these roads, so one day I took my bike and tested them out to see if it was ok. And after that we began a long, long project looking at that. We checked everything out, and then we used some of them on the Tour de France Femmes.
We eventually soon saw what works and what didn't work. Thierry and I then did a lot of work on this stage in the years just before. I actually think in the year before last I did about ten recons on my bike of that stage myself. On the day of the stage last year I was so stressed, but at the end Thierry and I were so pleased and happy with the result and how everything went.
As is always the case on the Tour de France we had little time to celebrate in the moment as we had to move straight on to the stages still to come. We took a big risk bringing that stage in, and so we discussed with everyone involved afterwards about what worked, what didn’t work and what we could change for the better.
Is there a particular Tour de France stage this year that you’re really excited about?
I just did a recon of the stage of Mont Dore in the Massif Central. I think it will be a crazy, crazy stage. There is no flat part with eight opportunities to win mountain points. I actually think we could probably have about 14 on this stage! I think it will be a super, super stage and very dramatic. It reminds me of the stage into Le Lioran last year when we had the superb battle between Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar. I think it will be very interesting for the fans and for the riders. It's on July 14 too, so the French riders will be excited about that one, it will be good for them.
What’s the best location that your career has ever taken you to?
I like all of the French countryside as you will find different landscapes everywhere you look. I was born in Paris and live in Paris, so when I was a professional I think I probably visited every corner of the country at some point. But in my career after riding then I would say Norway, I really love being involved with the Arctic Race of Norway.
The Tour de France has obviously had a few foreign Grand Départ's in recent years. Which would you say was the best? Which one did you enjoy the most?
I’m always happy to visit other countries for the Grand Départ, it has always been a great experience. I remember the start in Yorkshire in 2014, that was absolutely crazy when I look back at it. There were so many people and loads of fans on the side of the road. It’s difficult to choose, although I really enjoyed the start in the Pays Basque. It is always so beautiful there, and the people were crazy again. The crowds on the Col de Pike near Bilbao were something else. Italy was also absolutely beautiful last year, especially in Florence and the local area. It’s really difficult to choose one as a favourite, but I would probably say the start in the Pays Basque if I had to pick and highlight one.
