In 2012 Maxime Bouet finished in the top 20 at the Vuelta a Espana but since then he has been set back by injuries. Today he finished third in the French TT championships which marked his return to his best form.

With strong climbing and TT skills, Maxime Bouet is a great allrounder that finished in the top 20 at the 2012 Vuelta a Espana. In April 2013 he won a stage and finished second overall in the Giro del Trentino but since then nothing has gone to plan for the talented Ag2r rider.

Crashes and injuries have constantly slowed his down but after successfully completing the Giro d'Italia, he seems to be back on track. Earlier this month he did a strong ride at the Criterium du Dauphiné and today he finished third in the French TT championships.

The hard times made him see today's performance in a positive light.

“After all problems I have been thorugh, it’s such a pleasure to have great feelings on the bike," he said. "I didn’t win but I’m on the podium of a French National championships race and that’s great.  

"I managed my race well. I didn’t panic in the first kilometres because I knew that the final part would be decisive. I didn’t start too fast and I was not among the best at the intermediate check but I managed to gain much timein the finale and I crossed the line with the 2nd best time. Today, I think I did the perfect time trial."

Bouet's teammate Jean-Christophe Peraud finished fourth while Alexis Gougeard in 10th made it three Ag2r riders in the top 10.