Coquard has confirmed that he is targeting a comeback to track cycling with the ambition of competing at the 2028 Summer Olympics, setting himself the bold objective of becoming Olympic champion.
The 32-year-old rider’s relationship with the track stretches back to the earliest stages of his career. Before establishing himself on the road, Coquard was a decorated track rider at junior and under-23 level, winning world titles and developing the explosive finishing speed that would later make him a prolific sprinter in road racing.
His Olympic history is already significant. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Coquard came agonisingly close to gold in the omnium, ultimately taking silver after a dramatic final day of racing.
More than a decade later, that unfinished business still resonates.
According to the report, Coquard has begun seriously considering how a return to the track might fit alongside the later stages of his road career. With the Los Angeles Games still two seasons away, the timeline offers enough space to rebuild track-specific conditioning and reintegrate into France’s national programme.
The transition, however, would not be simple. Modern track racing — particularly in endurance events — has evolved significantly since Coquard last competed regularly on the boards. Training structures, tactical depth and physiological demands have all shifted as Olympic programmes have professionalised.
Yet Coquard’s skillset remains intriguing. Riders who combine road endurance with sharp finishing speed can often translate effectively into track disciplines such as the omnium or madison, particularly when supported by a well-structured national programme.
For the French federation, the possibility of an experienced rider returning with Olympic motivation presents both opportunity and challenge. Integrating a road professional into a highly specialised track system requires careful planning, but the upside could be considerable.
For Coquard himself, the motivation appears straightforward.
The memory of London — and the silver medal that might easily have been gold — has never entirely faded.
With Los Angeles now on the horizon, the velodrome may yet call him back.
