"Everyone would be afraid and paranoid": Cofidis sports director on facing the relegation in 2025
Cycling
The end of the 2025 season came as a blow to Cofidis. Despite attempts to retain the World Tour license, the French team was unable to avoid relegation, which has condemned it to the Pro Team category until at least 2028, where it could be promoted again after the end of that three-year period.
It was undoubtedly Cofidis' worst season as a World Tour team. It could only win 9 times and finished 20th in the standings, prompting the departure of team manager Cédric Vasseur. In an interview with bici.pro, sports director Roberto Damiani gave an overall assessment of what 2025 has meant for them.
"It has been a season that, in general, started well, at least until April, but then we ran into difficulties. The reason: I don't like to make excuses, but it's clear that something didn't go right. We all made mistakes and, as I always say, we win and lose together. Everyone has a responsibility if things didn't go as we expected," he began.
Still, the negativity has not entirely invaded Damiani's body, who is confident that Cofidis will turn the situation around as soon as possible.
"We have done our analysis and we can say that we will come back with even more enthusiasm. The change of general manager was decided from the top, from Cofidis as a company. I came to this team 8 years ago alongside Vasseur and I have always worked very well with him. But when I was asked to renew, I decided to stay, because I want to continue to give the best of myself."
Cofidis will have to fight between 2026 and 2028 to regain the World Tour license.
Overcome by the situation?
Cedric Vasseur's departure followed a series of events that would stress any director. This was also explained by Roberto Damiani:
"Tell me who, from tenth place down in the UCI rankings, wasn't overwhelmed by this fear, by this paranoia. There was a real tension for points for everyone, not just for us at Cofidis. Let's look at the teams we were fighting with: XDS Astana, Uno-X Mobility, Picnic PostNL..."
"Everyone has changed the way they ride and manage the races - how many races have you gone not to win, but to score points? This has inevitably meant a decline in the spectacle, and whoever decided these rules must take responsibility. But if you are between a rock and a hard place to save yourself you don't look at the style...," he added.
"It also has to be said that to score points you need good, fit riders. That's why, at a certain point, we bet a lot on the smaller races."
"At the same time, however, as the WorldTour team that we were, we had to respect the calendar and the commitments of the French Cup. But it has to be said that in certain races we were not up to the task. In the Tour de France, and you know how important it is for a French team, we simply didn't exist. It was the worst of our three Grand Tours," he said.
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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