French road race champion Warren Barguil (Arkea-Samsic) enjoyed his first outside training ride since the coronavirus blockade in his home region of Brittany on Monday, against the backdrop of measures eased by the French government.

"I was very happy," Barguil said on the team's website. 'I was able to enjoy the fresh air and ride on beautiful roads that I know so well.'

"Plus, I got to ride outdoors in the great French champion's jersey.

Nothing could stop the 28-year-old from riding for the first time since mid-March.

"There were a lot of friends who didn't really want to go out because of the rain forecast, but it ended up not raining a drop. But it was pretty windy, and for a second I thought I had left the fan I use when I'm riding Zwift on," he joked.

Barguil lives near Lorient. It's the first day of four days of the Tour de la Provence, the one-day races Ardèche Classic and Drome Classic (where he finished second), and Paris-Nice.

"I use the route along the coast a lot and the scenery is great. It's always nice to be able to run towards the sea."

"The self-isolation measures imposed during this pandemic were necessary to protect our country. It had to be done, and it certainly protected us," Barguil said. For us, as professional riders, it's a joy to be on the road. The road is our workplace, our office."

"The next step for us is to go to the forest this weekend. There, I look forward to seeing the positive effects that confinement has had on the environment, thanks to Mother Nature," he said.

Barguil won the three-color French champion jersey last June and will wear it for the second year in a row this year at the Tour de France, which was postponed from August 29 to September, and the French championships may not be held until October.