wednesday 21 december 2022 at 08:30
Some riders have been able to sign with a new employer in recent days, but for most (former) drivers of the imploded B&B Hotels-KTM it is still uncertain with a view to the 2023 cycling season. Cycling Flash takes a closer look at the former B&B selection.
Many World and ProTeams have already started preparing for the new season and have (almost) completed their selections. Many teams are currently in a warm place for the first training camps, and the first match programs are already being drawn up. However, various riders who still had a contract in 2022 are still in doubt. So we have the victims of the whole B&B debacle.
Under the ‘pans’
A number of former riders of B&B Hotels-KTM no longer have to worry about their cycling future. These are Cyril Barthe, Alan Boileau, Maxime Chevalier, Quentin Jauregui, Victor Koretzky, Adrien Lagrée, Axel Laurance and Luca Mozzato. With Koretzky and Mozzato, two riders will make the step to the WorldTour in 2023. Koretzky will play for BORA-hansgrohe next year, Mozzato has signed a contract with WT newcomer Arkéa-Samsic.
Barthe will again play for a ProTeam next season, namely Burgos-BH, and top talent Laurance recently signed a contract with (first the training team of) Alpecin-Deceuninck. Chevalier (Laval Cyclisme 53), Jauregui (Dunkerque Grand Littoral), Lagrée (Sojasun espoir-ACNC) and Boileau (VC Rouen 76) have now also found shelter, although in 2023 they will take a big step back to the French amateur / club circuit .
The dropouts
There are also some riders that we will not see again in the peloton in 2023, as they have put an end to their career. We are talking about Pierre Rolland, Thibault Ferasse, Jonathan Hivert, Cyril Lemoine and Julien Morice.
The unemployed
We arrive at our last group: the riders who are still anxiously looking for a new employer for 2023. Time is running out, as the first WorldTour races in Australia are already around the corner. For Pierre Barbier, Franck Bonnamour, Jens Debusschere, Cyril Gautier, Alexis Gougeard, Miguel Heidemann, Jérémy Lecroq, Eliot Lietaer, Raphael Parisella, Sebastian Schönberger and Jordi Warlop, the future still looks very uncertain.
Although we must note that Bonnamour can count on extensive interest from AG2R Citroën. According to Ouest-France, discussions are currently underway between Bonnamour and Vincent Lavenu, AG2R Citroën’s team manager.
