One tradition of the Tour Down Under is that the fans choose an unknown rider and treat him the way they would a star, by mobbing him at hotels and painting his name on the road.
The rider must be a non-English speaking domestique who most likely will not get a start at a major race and will simply act as a bottle carrier.
[6] He also cracked the top ten in the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal, finishing eighth.
[7] In 2012, Vichot conquered the biggest victory of his career up to that point in the fifth stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné, a mountainous affair that led the riders across the Col de la Colombière.
[8] In 2013 and 2016, Vichot won the French National Road Race Championships and the right to wear the coveted tricolor jersey in the Tour de France.