It’s a Breizh – Proud Frenchman and Breton, Warren Barguil on his 11th Tour de France

A wide-eyed Warren Barguil rolled down the start ramp in Utrecht for his first ever Tour de France participation in 2015, and now in 2025 he’s well into the way of his 11^th participation in a row at the race: equally wide-eyed and excited to be lining up on French roads.

It’s an extra special edition of the race for Warren, because as a proud Breton the race returns to his region once again, with the finish on Stage 7 to Mûr de Bretagne roughly one hour from his birth town of Hennebont.

We sat down with Warren on the eve of the Tour de France to pick his brain about how racing has changed over the years, what it’s like as the “dad” of the group, how special it is to race on home roads, and why 14^th of July means a lot to French people.

The Magic of the Tour

The hordes of fans lining the side of the street, swathes of yellow, polka dots and green as the riders flash by, the incredible furore and cheers at the bus each morning – there is something special about the Tour de France.

“It’s special because of course it’s a home race and the crowds are incredible”, explains Barguil. “But as you start to get older you also understand the luck and privilege you have, to be part of this crazy-big-circus for three weeks.”

Reflecting on his earlier races and how things have developed over the years he continues: “Things have changed quite a bit since 2015. It’s faster now and we race hard each day.”

Laughing as he says it, Warren also admits “I don’t have so many friends from back when I started left in the peloton now; we’re all getting older and soon will be on our pensions. Of course, Romain isn’t here anymore and some other guys from other teams that I’m friends with have stopped. I’m the oldest guy on our Tour team and soon I will be one of the oldest in the bunch.”

Still with a glimmer in his eye and a smile on the corner of his mouth, Barguil concludes “that’s why I understand how special it is to race here, you can’t take it for granted.”

Sharing his experience

A previous Tour de France KOM jersey and multiple stage winner with the then Team Sunweb back in 2017, Warren has transitioned into more of an experienced rider who shares his breadth of knowledge with the younger members of the squad, while also holding them accountable too.

“It’s something I really like. I wouldn’t say it’s new either as I’ve been doing it a bit more in the past few years already. I enjoy helping them to understand how to survive a race like this for three weeks. Maybe show them places that they can win something and get energy back or recover better.

“For example, when you have a bad moment, don’t look on social media and read the comments or messages. Instead turn it off and read a book and escape a bit. Or if you have some time, call your wife, partner or family each day. That really helps me because they’re the most important people in your life – and they can distract you from the Tour bubble for a bit; they’re always there for you.”

Clearly a man with some good advice, and we’re intrigued to hear next time what his reading list recommendations would be, Warren really has taken on that role of an older father figure in the group.

“While we were away at team altitude camp, I feel like I was on the road with my two kids – Frank and Oscar. I enjoy spending the time with them and they give me some energy back too. In Suisse we had most of our Tour squad there, so it was good to be with them as well. I enjoy taking care of them all and helping when I can.”

This outlook makes sense when 33-year-old Warren is surrounded by a Tour de France team that averages just under 24-years-old in age. Sorry for pointing that out, Warren!

Easy, peasy, Breizh-y

At the time of publishing, Warren has already traversed his home roads but when we spoke to him, he was only full of excitement for those stages. When we asked him ‘what makes your home region special, different, or in your opinion better than the rest of France?’

He was quick to quip back with “Uhm France? We’re better than the rest of the world, not just France,” grinning in typical Warren fashion as he did.

“We’re a really proud region and I think we have a bit of a different mentality than other places. We’re proud of everything from where we come from and our culture. You also see a Breton flag everywhere you go and in the most random places, it’s crazy. When I went to Rio for the Olympic test event, in the middle of nowhere in Brazil, there were people there standing with Breton flags. Or at a Dua Lipa concert, I saw some too. I think we love our region.”

With friends and family coming out in force for those home stages, Warren felt that extra bit of love on home roads.

A national holiday

And now it comes to today – the 14^th of July – Quatorze Juillet – Bastille Day – French National Day – whatever you want to call it; it’s a special day for all French people.

Warren looks back on fondness of being able to win Stage 13 of the 2017 edition of the race on that fabled day after an epic mountain stage, recalling a “truly special moment in my career.”

Looking ahead to today’s stage, Warren expects it to be a hard battle with a potential day for the breakaway.

“I think everybody will try to make the break. Not only the French riders but just everyone. I think it will be an interesting day on the road. We’re near where Romain [Bardet] grew up and there are some grippy, tough roads there. I hope we’ll be in the front and fighting for the stage win.”

Looking ahead

When posed with what would make a good race for the team, Warren answered simply:

“We have a good team here, we know how to work for each other, and we are really a team. So of course, winning a stage would be a success, but to then be able to all make it to Paris and celebrate together as a team; that’s what I’m most looking forward to.”