Cyclists from the separating squad garnered a scarce recognition during the eighth stage of the Tour de France, prompting their teammates' heartfelt sense of pride.
In a remarkable turn of events at the 2025 Tour de France, Matteo Vercher and Mathieu Burgaudeau of the TotalEnergies team shared the coveted combativity award during Stage 8. This is only the fourth time in the Tour's 112-year history that the award has been shared between two riders on a single stage.
The combativity award, given since 1952, honours the rider demonstrating the most fighting spirit or tactical audacity during a stage. Traditionally, it is awarded to a single rider. However, on this occasion, the jury recognised the exceptional collaborative effort of Vercher and Burgaudeau, who dared to break away from the peloton with 80km to go into Laval.
The duo's breakaway effort was initially billed for the sprinters, but Vercher and Burgaudeau dared to believe a different result was possible. They rode together for an hour and a half before being caught by the sprint trains. Despite their low positions, placing 157th and 167th respectively, they were the focal point of the Tour de France for 70-odd kilometres.
The previous instances of shared combativity awards include Yves Hézard and Raymond Martin in 1978, Juan Antonio Flecha and Johnny Hoogerland in 2011, and Quick-Step team-mates Julian Alaphilippe and Tony Martin in 2016.
The TotalEnergies team manager expressed pride in Vercher and Burgaudeau's performance, wishing for other teams to be involved in the breakaway but being satisfied with just the duo. Burgaudeau emphasised the importance of not getting frustrated or annoyed in sports, with 21 victories and 23 teams participating in the Tour de France.
Despite their finish, Vercher and Burgaudeau stood arm in arm on the podium, grinning to the crowds after their performance. Their achievement, inevitably, will be forgotten in the swell of this year's race. However, the joint combativity award won by Vercher and Burgaudeau will be cherished, underlining a notable moment of teamwork and aggressive racing during the 2025 edition of the Tour de France.
The combativity award, honoring the rider demonstrating the most fighting spirit, was shared between Matteo Vercher and Mathieu Burgaudeau during Stage 8 of the 2025 Tour de France, marking only the fifth time in the Tour's history that the award has been bestowed upon two riders collectively. Their collaborative effort, characterized by daring to break away from the peloton and riding together for an hour and a half, was the focal point of the race for 70-odd kilometers.
