26/09/2023

Groupama-FDJ strengthen with the arrivals of Matthew Walls and Cyril Barthe

Groupama - FDJ have signed Olympic omnium champion Matthew Walls from Team BORA - hansgrohe. Walls, a talented 25-year-old British cyclist, will join the French team starting with the 2024 season. In addition, they have also announced another acquisition, the arrival of Cyril Barthe from Burgos BH.

Matthew Walls is a versatile cyclist who has made his mark on both the road and track. Despite his successes in the omnium discipline, Walls intends to focus on his road career in the future. He began his professional career in 2021 with Team BORA-hansgrohe, following an apprenticeship with EF Education First in 2019.

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In his first season with the German team, Walls managed to stand out by winning two important races: the Gran Piemonte and a stage in the Tour of Norway. However, his most notable achievement was his victory in the omnium competition at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. In addition, together with Ethan Hayter, he won the silver medal for Great Britain in the Madison race.

Despite his promising career, the last two years have been challenging for Walls due to injuries. The British cyclist explained on Groupama-FDJ's social media that his progression was affected by crashes and injuries, including a hip fracture that kept him out of competition for several months in 2023.

Walls sees joining Groupama-FDJ as an ideal opportunity to regain his best form and advance his career. The French team has a solid structure and resources to support the development of cyclists and has proven to be a successful platform for emerging talent.

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In addition to Matthew Walls, Groupama-FDJ has also secured the addition of Cyril Barthe to the team. Barthe, 27, joins the French team from Burgos-BH. Throughout his career, Barthe has raced for ProContinental teams such as Euskadi Basque Country-Murias and B&B Hotels-KTM, both of which are defunct after the 2022 season.

Last season, Cyril Barthe took a stage win in the Volta ao Alentejo (2.2), demonstrating his ability to excel in stage races. His arrival at Groupama-FDJ will further strengthen the team and is expected to contribute significantly to the team's goals for the 2024 season.