Armindo Fonseca suffered like the rest of the bunch in the first half of the Tour de France. And yet, the diminutive Breton sprinter was one of the first attackers of this edition, breaking away for 143 km in the second stage to Sheffield.

“He has a light build and he suffered a lot in the first week. He also crashed and even if he didn't hurt himself too much, it was not easy for him to keep his place in the peloton. It's a bit easier since the Vosges stage”, said his team manager Emmanuel Hubert.

For Fonseca, who had vowed to be bold in his first Tour, the break was already a highlight. But he intends to try his luck again with his team, also making their debut on the race.

While he lives a lifetime experience on the Tour, it was not exactly a childhood dream:

“I started cycling at 13 when I went to see my cousin ride. I did not watch the Tour on television. I was pretty remote from it all,” he said.

The passion really came in 2006 when the Rennes-based rider went to watch the individual time-trial between St Gregoire and Rennes.