Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Sunday, January 19, 2025
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. That's relativity. - Albert Einstein
Bill McGann’s book Why Your Bike Is Made in Asia: My career in bicycles as I watched two continents squander an industry is available in print, Kindle eBook & Audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Current racing:
- January 17 - 26: Tour Down Under
Upcoming racing:
- January 25 - February 2: Challenge Vuelta a Mallorca
- January 25: Ruta de la Cerámica - Gran Premio Castellón
- January 26: Classica Comunitat a Valenciana 1969
- February 2: GP La Marseillaise
Latest completed racing:
- January 3: X20 Trofee Koksijde-Vlaamse Druivenveldrit Cross
- January 1: GP Sven Nys Cross
- December 30: Diegem Cyclocross
- December 26: Gavere Cyclocross
- December 27: Exact Cross Loenhout-Azencross
- December 15: Namur Cyclocross-Citadelcross
- November 17: Flandriencross
- November 3: European Cyclocross Championships
- November 1: X20 Trofee Oudenaarde-Koppenbergcross
We posted the report from stage winner Noemi Rüegg's Team EF Education-Oatly with the results.
Here's the race organizer's stage 2 report:
Switzerland’s Noemi Ruegg created Santos Tour Down history after winning the Health Partners stage 2 Unley to Willunga on Saturday.
The 23-year-old reigning Swiss road champion became the first female from her native country to take out a stage and stay atop of the general classification, after now retired compatriot Martin Elmiger was the first to claim a stage of the Santos Tour Down Under 18 years ago.
Noemi Rüegg wins the stage and is the new GC leader.
"It feels good, in Switzerland cycling isn’t really big yet on the road,’’ Ruegg said. “It’s really nice to take this step and prove we can do it as well.”
“It’s such a small country, we have a really strong national (cycling) team.”
Ruegg’s EF Education-Oatly team used all of their tactical nous to lead the climbing specialist to the top of the Willunga Hill summit in a stunning finish where she dropped her serious rivals.
“I still can’t believe what happened today,’’ Ruegg said revealing she left Switzerland’s freezing temperatures seven days ago. I’m also a bit surprised as back in Switzerland it’s cold, I didn’t spend weeks in Spain (to get adjusted to the heat) but I also think this preparation is good.
“I trained a lot in the cold, and I also asked for some heat training. I always stayed healthy and had some good rides.”
Poland’s UAE Team ADQ climber Dominika Włodarczyk claimed the efex Queen of the Mountain after a hard day in the saddle.
The reigning national road Polish champion was ecstatic with the rewarding accolade in the heat in her second Santos Tour Down Under appearance.
“I was here in Adelaide a week earlier it was a good time to adapt and the change of the time zone and I really, really like Adelaide,’’ she said. “I remember from last year I felt amazing. But I’m not really a rider who likes this type of conditions.”
Shock Ziptrak stage 1 winner Daniek Hengeveld, who was wearing the Santos ochre’s leader’s jersey, was under pressure as soon as the start gun fired on King William Road, Unley to signal the Health Partners women’s stage 2 was on.
With several riders wearing ice packs on their way to signing on, 79 riders started the race but France’s Eglantine Rayer (FDJ-SUEZ), Canada’s Mara Roldan (Team Picnic Post NL) and Netherlands Teuntje Beekhus (Uno – X Mobility) did not start.
With temperatures reaching 35C, Hengeveld at about 25km before the finish had lost contact with the leaders but still managed to keep the Ziptrak sprint jersey.
Just 3.8km from the historic debut King William Road, Unley women’s start was the first challenge of the day.
Poland’s UAE Team ADQ climber Dominika Włodarczyk picked up maximum points over efex Queen of the Mountain leader Alyssa Polites (ARA Australia) who earned six points while Lidl-Trek’s Clara Coppini earned four points. At that early stage of the race Polites was still the leader.
Lidl-Trek’s Niamh Fisher-Black benefitted from the power of her team after she was rewarded for working hard put pressure on a docile peloton.
Fisher-Black seeing off Lidl-Trek teammate Amanda Spratt’s second efex Queen of the Mountain atop Willunga Hill appeared to be calculated.
Belgium’s Julie Van De Velde (AG Insurance – Soudal) earned six points with Ruegg (EF Education – Oatly) coming in third before the grande finale at the same place.
New Zealand’s Ally Wollaston (FDJ-SUEZ) was at the front of the race before Lidl-Trek’s Niamh Fisher-Black worked hard to pull in the peloton to race off from the front.
Lidl-Trek’s Australian Amanda Spratt had her time in pole position of the reduced peloton just before the second efex Queen of the Mountain at the top of Willunga Hill in what appeared to be a battle of attrition.
Fisher-Black was on Spratt’s wheel just before the before the Kiwi claimed maximum QOM points over the three-time Santos Tour Down Under champion.
The tactical battle was on full display as favourites started working the peloton hard.
With under 3km before the finish, Australia’s Neve Bradbury who talked down her chances of being in good form after skipping last weekend’s national titles was on the wheel of Fisher-Black at the bottom of the Willunga Hill.
All the jerseys
Health Partners Stage 2 Winner: Noemi Ruegg (EF Education-Oatly)
Santos Ochre Leader’s jersey: Noemi Ruegg (EF Education-Oatly)
Ziptrak Sprint classifications leader: Daniek Hengeveld (Ceratizit-WNT)
efex Queen of the Mountain leader: Dominika Włodarczyk (UAE Team ADQ)
Zwift Young Rider leader: Eleonora Ciabocco
Yamaha Most Competitive Rider: Ali Anderson (ARA Australia)
Wilson Parking Team: UAE Team ADQ
And here’s the stage two report from second-place Silke Smulders’ Team Liv AlUla Jayco:
23-year-old Silke Smulders shone on today’s second stage of the Santos Tour Down Under, climbing out of her skin to a phenomenal second place up the iconic Willunga climb.
Marked as the Queen stage of the three-day race, the women’s peloton set out to tackle two ascents of the brutal climb, with Smulders showing her fine form on the first passing making it into an elite selection of 14 riders.
Stage two about to start.
The race then came back together on the descent, with a new group coming across and then jumping away on the run-in to the second and final ascent. This played into Smulders hands as she was joined by teammates Ella Wyllie and Amber Pate who worked to protect Smulders, setting her up for one all important final effort to the top.
As soon as the pace lifted on the climb, the Liv AlUla Jayco rider found herself once again with a small elite selection of just four riders. It looks like it would be the race winning move however, as the kilometres ticked down, the group stalled slightly and more riders jumped across.
Smulders rode with maturity and confidence, staying patient while covering all moves until she finally broke away with Noemi Rüegg.
The duo battled neck-and-neck together until the final 300metres when Rüegg found something to edge away from Smulders to take the honours.
Smulders now heads into tomorrow’s all important final stage in second place overall, just 15seconds behind the race leader.
Silke Smulders:
“I gave it everything and in the final, I made no mistakes, I kept really cool, and Noemi was just stronger. It was a special feeling, all the team worked for me, and I have never experienced that before so I am so grateful that I got the opportunity. Everybody really believed in me, so I am of course disappointed not to win, being so close, but also very happy with this second place.
"It is close now on the general classification and after today, I think we can see that we have a really strong team and that everyone is really committed so, I think anything is possible.”
Gene Bates – Sport Director
“It was a great day for Silke and for the team. We came in with options with Silke and Ella and after the first ascent it was pretty clear that Silke was on a good day. We went into full support mode with her, to deliver her as best as we could. We weren’t the absolute favourites, and I think we used that to our advantage. We really looking forward to tomorrow’s stage now.”
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We posted the report from winner Sam Welsford's Team Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe with the results.
Here's the race organizer's report:
Sam Welsford says all rivals’ eyes will be upon him and his team from Tuesday after he took out his maiden Villawood Classic criterium race tonight at the Santos Tour Down Under.
Welsford also got lucky when he avoided a nasty crash on the final corner of the Adelaide East End Street Circuit claiming his top speed was 68.1km/h during the one-hour race.
Sam Welsford wins the Villawood Men's Classic
Italy’s Manlio Moro, 22, from the Movistar team was one known rider that crashed.
Welsford, who raced in the national criterium colours for Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, said he was unaware of the crash which happened behind his final sprint home on Rundle Road.
“Around that last corner I was pretty close to the barriers,’’ Welsford said. “I kind of checked and saw that it was strung out and I had about a metre before the barrier, and I thought I’m just going to work as hard as I could.
“I knew with the downhill (finish) it would be hard to overtake and the rest is history. I didn’t hear anything (the crash) I came under (teammate) Danny van Poppel but I had a good run from him.
“He said “go”, it’s a super fast corner and I hope everyone is alright."
Welsford won three stages of the Santos Tour Down Under last year.
He sounded a stern warning to rival sprinters before the 2025 WorldTour season starts with the Ziptrak stage 1 Prospect to Gumeracha on Tuesday.
“I’m really happy how it kicked off but the real stuff starts on Tuesday when all eyes will be on us,” he said.
Germany’s Henri Uhlig (Alpecin-Deceuninck) finished second followed by Great Britain’s Matthew Brennan (Movistar Team).
Brennan also avoided the crash which happened in front of him. "It was quite chaotic,’’ Brennan said. “A lot of people were keen it was the first race of the season and my team did a lot of work to keep me out of trouble and keep me safe.”
Here's the Villawood Classic report from Team Soudal Quick-Step:
Soudal Quick-Step returned to action after three months for the Tour Down Under Criterium, the fast race held in downtown Adelaide that precedes the first World Tour event of the season. The circuit was fast and flat, with just a few technical corners that didn’t stop the peloton from making sure the day came down to a bunch sprint.
It was the scenario everyone was expecting, but the group had to work hard behind an ambitious three-man breakaway which took off right after the start and put around 25 seconds between them and the chasers. It was only on the last of the race’s 30 laps that the leaders were brought back, some 1500 meters from the line, where only a small group ended up fighting for the win after a crash derailed many of the sprinters’ teams.
Going into the last kilometer, Casper Pedersen found himself in a good position to go for a nice result, but the Dane was among the riders blocked by the pile-up and couldn’t feature in the finale, which witnessed a victory of Sam Welsford (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe).
On Tuesday, the Tour Down Under will get underway with what should be another opportunity for the sprinters.
Team INEOS Grenadiers posted this Villawood Classic report:
Sam Watson sprinted to fifth place on his INEOS Grenadiers debut as the WorldTour peloton enjoyed a first hit-out of the year at the Villawood Men’s Classic.
The showpiece criterium was tackled at a fierce pace on a sweltering evening in Adelaide. The Grenadiers worked well together, ticking off the 30 laps before setting up Watson in the sprint.
Maintaining strong positioning throughout, Michal Kwiatkowski was able to marshal the team behind the train of Red Bull - BORA – Hansgrohe, hitting the front at the bell lap.
Ben Swift then helped move Watson up, with our lead-out riders able to avoid a nasty pile-up on the final corner.
Watson edged out a top-five with a strong sprint, while the victory was claimed by Australian Criterium champ Sam Welsford (Red Bull - BORA – Hansgrohe). Henri Uhlig (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Matthew Brennan (Visma | Lease a Bike) rounded out the podium places on Saturday evening.
Geraint Thomas returns to Tour Down Under in 2025 and the Welshman hit the front briefly on lap nine – chasing the day’s three-man break of Oscar Onley (Picnic PostNL), Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Jordan Labrosse (Decathlon AG2R). The trio would be caught heading onto the final lap.
The stage race itself kicks off on Tuesday with a 150.7km test from Prospect to Gumeracha.
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Here’s the team’s post:
During the official presentation held in Albir (Alicante) this Friday, on January 17th, the Walloon structure unveiled its ambitions for the 2025 season in presence of the press and its partners, and presented the rosters of the three teams that comprise it: Intermarché-Wanty World Team, Wanty-NIPPO-ReUz Continental Development team, and Charles Liégeois Roastery CX cyclocross team.
At the presentation.
"I had an incredible 2024, of course with the Tour de France and its finale in Nice which will forever be etched in my memory. But also because I started the season well in Australia, then with the podium at Tirreno-Adriatico, I was competitive in the classics and in the Giro, on home soil by winning the Circuit Franco-Belge, all of this before the Tour. We planned the season very well, being flexible with setbacks and returns to Eritrea which allow me to be in top form, both physically and mentally." "This is one of the reasons why I chose to continue my career with Intermarché-Wanty on the long term: we have built a relationship of trust, we are progressing together, I feel at home. I know I can count on the support of my team in good times and difficult periods. With our resources, we work very intelligently, professionally and in a structured way, and are capable of winning the biggest cycling races." "In 2025, I want to be in top form for the classics, and then return to the Tour de France to win. I dream of reaching the podium of Milan-San Remo. It's a classic that suits me. Together with my sprint train Hugo Page, Laurenz Rex, but also Jonas Rutsch, Roel van Sintmaartensdijk and Vito Braet, we have built a solid group with which I will often race. I am convinced that we will accomplish new feats together in the years to come." - Biniam Girmay
"I approach this new season with renewed confidence. The experience of the Tour de France has made me stronger, both physically and mentally. It's an honor for me to count on a sprint train composed of a great talent like Huub Artz, as well as the experienced Adrien Petit and Gijs Van Hoecke. I'm eager to be at the startline of the Giro d'Italia, where I have a sense of unfinished business because my ankle injury prevented me from participating last year. I want to win, to do better than 2024. With Gijs, we came here to Spain ahead of the training camp to further strengthen our teamwork in the lead-up to this season. His advice and experience with champions like Greg Van Avermaet are invaluable." - Gerben Thijssen
"My ambition is to continue to grow, to pursue my development step by step with Intermarché-Wanty. My first professional victory at Le Samyn in 2024 motivates me to keep going this season and win again. My program for 2025 is similar to last year's, focused around Paris-Roubaix and my second participation in the Tour de France. It's my dream to participate in the biggest races and I thank the team for the confidence they show in me by including me on the Tour again. In addition to the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, I will compete in the third Monument of my career with my debut at Milan-San Remo. We have forged a young and talented group for the classics; together we are growing and having a lot of fun. We motivate each other to bring out the best in ourselves; we sacrifice ourselves for each other, as we demonstrated on the Tour around Biniam Girmay. He has reached a new level, capable of playing leading roles in Grand Tours and Monuments, but also in particular races like the Grand Prix de Denain, where I wouldn't hesitate to support him." - Laurenz Rex
"I am one of the six new arrivals at Intermarché-Wanty, but I'm feeling at home for a long time already, as I was often involved with the World Team when I was with Wanty-NIPPO-ReUz last year. I expect to feel this step up in races, with a much higher pace in World Tour events. My program will be busy, with several World Tour stage races like the UAE Tour, interspersed with classics. I demonstrated last year in races like the Volta Limburg Classic, Le Samyn and the Tour of Oman that I was able to race for the victory. With my victories at the European Championships U23, Ghent-Wevelgem U23, and the Giro Next Gen, I have won on different courses and in different scenarios. I am therefore quite versatile. It is still difficult to assess my specialty, but I think my profile is well suited to the classics. I also like to race on instinct. Thanks to the combination of power and my focus on aerodynamics, I think I can shine more in one-day races. Also, I will have an important role in Gerben Thijssen's sprint train. A responsibility that suits me well because it requires a big engine, explosiveness, and a good ability to position myself." - Huub Artz
"2024 will remain an exceptional season for Intermarché-Wanty, with the highlight being the first victory in our history on the Tour de France, followed by two other stage wins and the green jersey. This historic feat is just another step in the development of our project. The evolution of our structure follows continuous progress each year, thanks to the dedication of all the staff, the support of our partners, and the collaboration between our three teams. We intend to continue this progress in 2025 with the ambition of winning a Monument." "The solidity of our project rests on the support of our sponsors. For 2025, our family of technical partners is expanding with CEMA, Hutchinson, and O’Neills Sportswear. Charles Liégeois Roastery provides enthusiastic support to our cyclocross team led by Bart Wellens, around which a real craze has developed. Also, we are happy to welcome NIPPO Corporation, a Japanese construction group with a long history in cycling, which comes to strengthen our Continental Development team. Finally, we are very pleased to be able to count on renewed and strengthened support from Intermarché for the years to come, which will soon be the subject of an announcement in Paris." - Jean-François Bourlart (General Manager)
"The common thread since our arrival in the World Tour has been the development of talent combined with the pursuit of success. We have instilled a culture of performance within our structure, offering young riders the time and confidence to develop, seeking to improve all aspects of nutrition, equipment, and coaching. The success of our World Team and our young riders from Wanty-NIPPO-ReUz, such as Huub Artz's European Championship title, is the result of a clear strategy and plan, established over several years." "It is also the result of collective work, with the mechanics and soigneurs who go above and beyond every day for quality service; it's the mastery of details with measuring the exact dose of rice cake, the correct choice of tire pressure… Our structure has established a solid backbone, with a performance team that brings together various specializations: Pieter Vanspeybrouck to analyze sprints, Dimitri Claeys responsible for talent development and focused on the classics, Bart Wellens with his cyclocross expertise for off-road competitions and tire choice analysis, and Sébastien Demarbaix specializing in hilly events and Steven De Neef who will lead our team in our season start in Australia from tomorrow." "We also have a coaching team led by former Dwars door Vlaanderen winner Frederik Veuchelen, in charge, for example, of Biniam Girmay's daily training schedules, whom he accompanies in Italy before Milan-San Remo. Alongside him, we have Adriaan Helmantel, who brings his time trial expertise, backed by three world titles with the Dutch national team in this discipline. Finally, Christophe Prémont is the head coach of Wanty-NIPPO-ReUz with a focus on young talents; he brings his valuable scientific perspective in connection with UCLouvain."
"Our dream of victory on the Tour de France has become a reality, but we intend to take another step in 2025. We always want to be competitive in the classics, aim for podiums, and be competitive in the Monuments. I am convinced that we can aspire to play leading roles in Paris-Roubaix. We have regularly shone there in the past, placing a rider in the top 10 four times in the last four editions." "For the Grand Tours, our primary goal is to perform well in the Giro d'Italia, with Louis Meintjes, Kobe Goossens and Simone Petilli as spearheads in the mountains to target the general classification, Gerben Thijssen and his lead-out man Gijs Van Hoecke for the sprints, as well as the young Francesco Busatto for the more undulating stages. Then, we will return to the Tour de France with the objective of winning a stage with Biniam Girmay, surrounded by his loyal sprint train composed of Hugo Page and Laurenz Rex among others, and accompanied by the climbers Kobe Goossens and Georg Zimmermann." - Aike Visbeek (Performance Manager
"Every day throughout the season, we work behind the scenes to improve our equipment, seeking the best configuration for our riders on their increasingly aerodynamic yet reliable CUBE bikes. It is the result of many years of work and fruitful collaborations with our technical partners that today culminates in a competitive CUBE bike, capable of rivaling the best teams. Our constant pursuit of progress in terms of equipment is reflected again this year with a new partnership with HUTCHINSON tires, the addition of SHIMANO pedals, but also in time trialing with the range of NEWMEN wheels specifically for this discipline." - Mikey van Kruiningen
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The team posted this:
For his second season with the Groupama-FDJ cycling team, Rémy Rochas has chosen Australia for his return to racing. A valuable teammate on the climbs in 2024, the 28-year-old from Savoy wants to take advantage of the Tour Down Under to show himself. He tells us about his preparation, his first year with the team and his hopes for the coming season.
A wet Rémy Rochas finishes the 2024 Giro d'Emilia.
Rémy, we last saw you in Italy in late October, and here you are in Australia in mid-January. How have been the last few months?
My season ended quite late because we kept going with the team after Il Lombardia for two great races in Veneto. Then it was time to take a break and enjoy the holidays a bit. We didn’t go on a big trip because our little one was born on February 15, so he was still a bit young for that. So we took the opportunity to visit my partner’s family. We also went to spend some time in Chamonix. It’s not very far from home, but it was still a way to switch off and change the atmosphere. I also took advantage of the time off to go out with my friends and family. In anticipation of the Australian campaign, however, I took a three-week break instead of a month. I got back into training gradually, but not just by cycling. I also really like running, especially trail running, and the region where I live is well suited to it. It means I could take my mind off things a bit.
How did your return to training and your preparation go?
I had to adapt my preparation, but it didn’t cause any major change. The return to training was gradual but it also got more specific quicker. It was fine for me, because I don’t really like “wasting my time” when I start training again. I went to Nice before the December training camp, and we had already started specific work with my coach Nicolas Boisson. Then, the training camp in Calpe went slightly differently for the “Australia” group. We did a bit more specific work and also a bit more hours. I even extended the training camp by three days to then take a break for the end-year celebrations and avoid fatigue. I quickly returned to Nice after New Year, in order to do a final block of very specific work in preparation for the Tour Down Under. It went quite well, even though I suffered a crash that delayed my training block by one day. It was a stupid crash, but it hurt quite a bit. It was a blow to my morale at the time because I thought that the Australian campaign might already be gone. But the next day, once I got on the bike, I realized that everything was fine. I was able to resume my preparation, work well, the trip went very well, just like the first days in Australia. For the moment, all the lights are green.
Was doing this Australian campaign a wish of yours?
I became interested in it quite early last year. I discussed it for the first time on the Tour of the Basque Country jokingly with Jussi, who was my referent sports director. Throughout the year, I kept saying that I was motivated. That’s also what’s beautiful with our sport. We have the opportunity to travel and discover new places. I could also ask Jussi for information on the route, and I realized recently that I’m performing the best on this type of punchy profile. It was a real motivation, and I’ve had it in mind for a while. It also fitted perfectly with the team’s plans, so we went for it and I’m very happy about it.
Was adjusting to the local weather easy?
I’ve always loved the heat and we also worked a lot in preparation on the heat acclimatization. In particular, I did hot bath/sauna sessions, which is not the most unpleasant thing. On the other hand, the downside is that we also had to do home trainer sessions while being a little overdressed. I’m really not a fan of home trainer, but we had to do it. Since we got here, we haven’t had a proper heatwave. The temperature is around 36-37 degrees, it’s really very pleasant and I haven’t felt any undesirable effects.
Physically, how do you feel?
Right now, I already feel really good on the bike. As I said, I don’t need much time to be in good form. I didn’t plan my preparation to make sure I’m not at 100% right away. Because if I can be at 100%, win the Tour Down Under, even if it means coming home a little tired, that’s no problem for me! The coaches and sports directors have also worked very well, and my program is really adapted afterwards. I think I won’t be far from my best level here, if all goes well and my preparation continues to be great as it has been so far.
Is this Tour Down Under an important goal for you?
The team gave me a lot last year, I improved, and I also think I helped the team quite a bit. With Quentin [Pacher], we are aware that we have opportunities to shine on our own in this kind of race. It would be a shame to say that we are going to Australia just for the trip and to change the routine. If we are there, we might as well prepare well and try to aim high. For sure, we’ll face a very strong field, but we come here with real ambitions. We will do our best. The general classification will be decided on the profiles that we really like, probably on stages 3 and 5. There are always some tricky stages, but physically wise, it should suit us very well. Personally, I would like to thank the team with a big result here.
What are you aiming for?
Winning a stage would be incredible. And if that happens, it means that I am also capable of doing a very good GC. The goal will be to show myself and seize the opportunities. The final circuit of the third stage will be really hilly and could lead to some aggressive racing. If I can find myself in a group that is fighting for the win that day, that would be great. And if I am able to fight for the win that day, I should be able to be up there in Willunga, even if it will probably be more of a 3km-sprint up the climb.
Is it also an opportunity to give it a try in a WorldTour race?
I already came close to winning a stage and a general classification in the WorldTour, on the Tour of Guangxi, but I was at the time at Cofidis (2023, editor’s note). Last year, I realized, with hindsight, at the end of the season, that I could have personally seized a few opportunities, and the team told me so too. That’s what’s really positive about being in Australia now. With Quentin, we will be able to be the team’s leaders, and if it goes well, it can give us confidence on a personal level, and make the team trust us again later in the season. On a Grand Tour, we are less capable of performing than our leaders for sure. We really appreciate working for others, giving a lot of ourselves, but what drives us is also the adrenaline of fighting for the win. I think we really have the chance to seize this opportunity here. And then, if the first races go well, our mates in front of the TV will be willing to do the same.
You are about to start your second year with the team. How did the first one go?
First of all, I really want to thank the team for their confidence in signing me last year. From the start, I felt that the team had a clear idea of performance. It was a big change for me, and it also brought me a lot from the start of the season. It worked very well right away. We won thanks to Kevin on La Marseillaise, and I was able to be a part of his victory. In Bessèges, even if we didn’t win, I also had a lot of fun personally and I was able to perform well. I was also included in the group for the Tour with some of the best riders in the team. Everything went very well. Even if I didn’t shine as much in terms of results, I shone in the way I helped the team. I was performing consistently until I came back to racing on the Critérium du Dauphiné, where I crashed and suffered a concussion. That put a bit of a stop to my season. For a month, I was really struggling. I couldn’t climb the stairs at home. Then I got back on track with the Vuelta in mind. The return to racing went well with the Vuelta a Burgos and the Clasica San Sebastian, then the start of the Vuelta was very good before an illness completely knocked me out. My end of the season was a bit more difficult, even if there were also some positive sides. In short, my performance level increased last season, but I would have liked to translate that into more big results. That will be the goal this year.
Despite the setbacks, did you feel at 100% at certain times?
I didn’t have this feeling all season, but I think I was at 100% in some races. For example, at the start of the season in Bessèges. I also discovered that I was more and more capable of fighting for the win on punchy stages, or small uphill sprints. In Catalonia, I came sixth in the first stage. In Burgos, I came fourth even though I made an 800-meter effort to launch our sprinter. Those days, I was really at 100%.
You also broke away in the two Monuments you took part in.
Paradoxically, these are two periods where I was a little weakened. In Liège-Bastogne-Liège, I had some allergy problems, but I was able to take the breakaway and perform well. At Il Lombardia, I was coming off some digestive problems, but I recovered well and was able to have a good day at the front, after a strong attack at the start. Those are definitely good memories.
What about your integration and your position in the team?
I came here to take a domestique role. I really enjoy this role, and over time, I have also been given a few opportunities to go for results myself. I also like taking on a bit of leadership. I have also been road captain a few times. It is a duty that I really enjoyed, because even if I am not an old guy, I have a few seasons under my belt and a bit of experience, especially in races that I have already competed in. As for integration, I generally fit quite quickly into a group, and I also think I am inclusive towards the youngsters. I’m a bit of a joker (laughs), but I like being like that. I need to be optimistic and positive.
What goals do you have in 2025?
First, to fulfil my role as a domestique. For example, my first big goal with a leader, namely David, will be the Tour de Romandie-Giro sequence. I want to be at 100% of my ability in order to be able to support him as far as possible. My goal will also be to be consistent regarding my performance level. If everything goes as I hope, I should be able to seize the opportunities that come, especially since I still haven’t won a race among the pros. That will also be a goal, no matter the race.
Are you obsessed with seeking this first victory?
Not at all, but sometimes I realize that I really have the capacity to get it. If the stars are aligned, if I have great legs, and if everything goes perfectly, I know that I am capable of winning races. But it doesn’t obsess me. I do my best, I do what I know I can do, and I trust the team. When things have to work out, they will. Last season, when I was going strong at the start of the Vuelta, I really had in mind to fight for a stage win by taking a breakaway. Unfortunately, it never came together. You have to succeed in seizing the right opportunities at the right time. When I train, I do it to perform as well as possible, and performing as well as possible means winning in the end. Now, it all depends on the team I’m in, the group I’m in, which leaders I’m with, and the race profile. In which case, I can also use what I’ve gained in training to help a teammate win.
What will your program be after the Australian campaign?
When I come back from Australia, I will go to Algarve, where there are surely opportunities to seize with Romain. I hope he can count on me to help him win a stage, or better. Then I will be on O Gran Camino, where the team will be mixed between WorldTour and La Conti riders. I will enjoy racing with the younger ones, and I will surely also have leadership in a race that suits me very well. Then, I will be with some leaders on the Strade Bianche and on the Tour of Catalonia. Then, I will switch with David on the Tour de Romandie and the Giro, where I could also have opportunities to be aggressive.
You joined the WorldTour at the age of 24. How do you see the evolution of your career since then?
I spent three years at Cofidis, where I progressed very quickly, but I found new momentum at Groupama-FDJ last year. I really felt like a neo-pro. My entire profile as a rider has strengthened. I feel that I am improving over the years, in terms of repeating efforts, in managing efforts. I am increasingly capable of making a decisive effort at the end of a difficult race. I feel that I am entering my best years. Last season, I was always ready when I had to be, but the issue was more about building my races. Winning is not innate for everyone. You have to understand how it works, and it is by being able to fight for the win regularly that you understand it. By listening to riders with my profile, like Rudy or Quentin, I also realized that when you have opportunities, you need to know how to optimize your effort throughout the race. When you feel like you have the legs, sometimes you have to be patient, sometimes you have to dare to anticipate. It depends on the races and that’s also why it’s difficult. I can still gain a few percentages on my ability to read the race in the money time, in the key moments.
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