The difference is tiny. You have to study the sleeves, where the Wilier inscription replaces Lapierre, so as not to confuse the 2024 jersey of the Groupama-FDJ team, with that of the previous year. A visual detail indicating the arrival of the new bike manufacturer, but which says nothing about the other changes in Marc Madiot’s training.
At the dawn of his baby’s 28th season, the squad of which was presented this Wednesday morning in a sports club in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, the French manager recognized it: “We are turning a page. » Two important figures left the team – Arnaud Démare joined Arkéa-B & B Hôtels in August, Thibaut Pinot retired at the end of the season – and the sports directors’ staff was renewed by half.
A satisfying new bike
No worries, Madiot puts things into perspective: “We are very calm, everything is in place. » His new director of the sports division, Philippe Mauduit, believes that he is “in line with Yvon (Madiot, his retired predecessor) and what he has put in place for 27 years” and that “the basis of the team, that is to say the assistants, physiotherapists, mechanics, remains the same”. The main objective too: the Mayenne leader would like to aim for around 7th place in the World Tour ranking, reached in 2023, because the top 5 still have too much superior resources.
So don’t the changes change anything? Yes, the new equipment already brings satisfaction, according to the first impressions of David Gaudu and Stefan Küng. The Swiss time trial specialist even had a smile on his face when talking about it: “I feel a real gain. It’s versatile, with good aerodynamics, it’s light and easy to handle… It’s the perfect bike for me. »
Freer teammates on the Tour de France
Another development announced: the philosophy on the Tour de France. The general classification, still targeted by Gaudu, 9th in the last edition, remains a common thread because “it is part of the culture of a great team, withdrawing from it would be a form of renunciation”, considers Madiot. But he won’t be the only concern.
“We are going to go to the Tour with a lot of riders capable of winning,” says Mauduit. The participations of Küng, Valentin Madouas, and Romain Grégoire have already been announced, with “the opening to chase stages”. Since Thibaut Pinot in 2019, the Groupama-FDJ team has not won on the Grande Boucle.
Gaudu welcomes this freedom granted to his teammates. He has bad memories of his heat stroke at the start of the tenth stage of the 2023 Tour, which had burned the cards of the riders of his team to take the breakaway, winning that day in Issoire.
In Mauduit’s plans, the Breton climber should also try to practice more daring cycling. “There are two ways to play the general,” explains the new race director. Try to always stay in contact with the best, or be more offensive, take breakaways, even if it means getting hit with a boomerang the next day. » Like Jai Hindley who started at the front from the 5th stage last year, this second option should be favored this year.
A young workforce but already empowered
The arrival of a promising new generation is also one of the origins of these offensive desires. The youngest World Tour team this season (26 years on average, tied with dsm-firmenich PostNL), Groupama-FDJ relies on a squad in which almost half of the riders come from the continental team.
“This generation is definitely changing the game, their energy is felt throughout the team,” remarks Mauduit. “They are very self-taught,” notes Gaudu, and “have confidence in what they do because of their Continental training,” according to Küng.
At only 20 years old, Romain Grégoire had an impressive first season among professionals (winner of the 4 days of Dunkirk and the Tour du Limousin, 2nd in a stage of the Vuelta). The Bisontin puncher, who impresses Mauduit “with his great maturity, his capacity for analysis”, has already completed several stages of the Tour, including the first days in Italy.
Also born in 2003, Lenny Martinez, the youngest wearer of the red jersey last year, will still be leader in the Vuelta, while Gaudu will evolve in a freer role. On the Giro, confidence had been placed in Paul Penhoët (22 years old) until his cruciate ligament injury last week, but the project could ultimately be reoriented around an even younger sprinter: the New Zealander Laurence Pithie (21 years old).
