FDJ may be down to just 4 riders in the Vuelta a Espana but the team is showing a great fighting spirit. Johan Le Bon has been in the break twice in the last few days and today Laurent Mangel was on the attack before Geoffrey Soupe sprinted to sixth.

Having lost all its captains, the remaning four FDJ riders in the Vuelta a Espana could be forgiven for playing an anonynous role in the Vuelta a Espana. However, the team has been very active in the last few stages.

Johan Le Bon did a very strong ride in the break on last Monday's queen stage and as the team went into yesterday's stage 18 he told his sports director that "I am a little tired and I don't think I will attack." Nonetheless, he joined the day's move and spent most of the day in the escape.

Going into today's stage he told his sports director that "I am a little tired and I don't think I will attack." It didn't take long for Le Bon to find himself in a four-rider group that was brought back after a hard chase.

When the elastic finally snapped, it was his teammate Laurent Mangel who put FDJ in the spotlight. In the end, Geoffrey Soupe used his fast legs to sprint to sixth.

It would be no surprise to see the team's fourth member, Cedric Pineau, in tomorrow's break...