The start of the 4th leg of the Solitaire du Figaro 2020 was due to be given this Saturday 19th at the end of the day. However, the wind decided otherwise. At the end of the 3 stages given, it is therefore Armel le Cléac'h who wins this new edition. The skipper of Banque Populaire thus enters the closed circle of the triple winners of the Solitaire, including Philippe Poupon, Jean Le Cam, Michel Desjoyeaux, Jérémie Beyou and Yann Eliès.
In the lead overall, with a small 10-minute lead over his direct pursuer, Armel le Cléac'h will not have had to defend his place as leader. However, this victory is legitimately won since the skipper of Banque Populaire has always been at the forefront, winning two leg victories in this 51st edition. Frédéric Duthil (Sailing Technician/Cabinet Bourhis Generali) and Tom Laperche (Brittany CMB Espoir) complete the podium.
"The decision not to start is a logical one. Winning this third Solitaire was the goal I'd been looking for for two years so it's great. I'm joining my friends with whom we almost started out together, Yann (Eliès) and Jérémie (Beyou), as well as the greats, Michel Desjoyeaux, Philippe Poupon and Jean Le Cam, they're great sailors and I'm happy to be joining this small, closed club. This is my twelfth participation, I started my first Solitaire twenty years ago, it's been a long way since then, I haven't won every year, there were 2003, 2010 and 2020, so I had to be patient to go and look for this third star. I'm delighted, there was a great atmosphere on this Solitaire, a crazy level, all the generations mix, with experienced sailors like me, Yann and Fred (Duthil) making a great second place, and behind the youngsters who are growing up, they're the champions of tomorrow. I'm happy to have beaten them again this year, but it will be more and more complicated in the years to come. We've covered more than 1500 miles, three big stages with suspense, varied weather, we've managed to complete a very complete course, we've made it as far as Dunkirk, we've sailed around the Fastnet, we've arrived here in Saint-Nazaire, it's still a great Solitaire, I'm happy to have put my name on the list of winners and to have achieved my goal. I gave myself two years to get there by coming back after a very difficult Route du Rhum, all the work we put in with the team paid off, we had to get motivated again and start a new project, that's going to put me in the best possible shape for the rest of the project with Banque Populaire. I'd like to thank them once again for their confidence, because 2018 was a very tough year. Two years later, I'm offering them this Solitaire they've never won, it's génial?!" explains the winner of the 51st edition.
