"I don't think anything, nothing at all" - Marc Madiot has no time for Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard's season openers

Marc Madiot remains one of the most influential figures in French cycling. As the boss of Groupama - FDJ, he recently spoke to Cyclism’Actu about his team’s start to the season, the dominance of Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, and the inconsistencies of the UCI.

Assessing his team’s performance so far in 2025, Madiot acknowledged that the early months of the season are about building momentum.

"It's the start-up, there are riders who have not yet raced very much. So we are getting into position and we are going to focus on the events that are coming up from next weekend, with the opening in Belgium, plus the Drôme-Ardèche, and then Italy which will arrive very quickly with the Strade, Tirreno and Paris-Nice.

“So all this means that the month of February has been quite full, with a lot of races that have followed one after the other. And we have not necessarily raced too much, nor raced much for some of our riders. So we were in the phase of getting into orbit, if I may say so."

He emphasised the importance of securing an early-season win, noting the psychological benefits of getting off the mark so quickly.

"You always have to win quickly at the start of the season, the first one is important. Psychologically, it opens the results counter for the team. And we know today with the importance of social networks that we are quickly categorized as the team that has not won. 'It's been 300 or 400 days or 300 days since we won.

“They haven't won since such and such a date. The other teams have won...' There is always such and such a team that has not yet won a game. So we know that there is a significant psychological aspect to the opening score. And for me, the opening score is always something important."

The team has been in solid form, but a crash for David Gaudu disrupted his campaign. Meanwhile, Romain Grégoire has impressed, particularly in the time trial at the Volta ao Algarve.

"Season after season, I like it when we win quickly enough to be at peace on that side. And then, we had a good run with David. Unfortunately, he crashed. He couldn't defend his chances in last weekend's events. Now, that's part of the hazards. I hope we'll see him back in competition very soon.

“And then, there's also a great comeback for Romain Grégoire who performed particularly well yesterday in the time trial in Algarve. So I'm also hoping for great things this weekend in Belgium and Drôme-Ardèche. So that's it, the team is on its way. And now, we have to put results and victories into practice."

Madiot praised Grégoire’s development and sees him reaching new heights.

"I think Romain has reached a new level psychologically and physically. We feel that he has reached a new level. So the idea is to make it happen and continue to seek the great and beautiful results that we hope for him."

One of the team’s key new signings, Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet, is expected to bring strength to Groupama-FDJ, particularly in longer and more demanding races.

"He should have been with David Gaudu this weekend. We feel that he will bring something more to Groupama-FDJ this year. He is a long-distance runner. We know that with him, on long and difficult races, and complicated stage sequences, he can express himself and compete with the best. I hope that it will go well and that he will string together some great and good performances in the coming weeks."

Looking ahead to the Flemish Classics, Madiot is realistic about the competition his team faces, particularly given the presence of Pogačar in the one-day races.

"To be able to win, you already have to be consistent and be regular in your level of performance. So I expect a good level of performance and a good average level over all of these races with all of our riders who will be doing the Flemish campaign.

“And then afterwards, we know that victory will be difficult to get because when we see the Pogacars who are registering for the Flemish races, it increases the difficulty. We know that there is a very high level of performance among some riders, but we can exist and I hope that we will be operational to be regularly in the match with the greatest."

However, he insists that Pogacar’s plans are not his concern.

"I don't think anything, nothing at all. This is not my subject. My subject is my riders. I take care of mine to make sure they are at the start of the races. Afterwards, the participation of some or others in the upcoming races is not my responsibility. I look at the list of starters the day before the event and then we deal with it."

Asked whether he was more impressed by Pogacar or Vingegaard’s early-season performances, Madiot simply stated:

"No, not particularly. They are where we expected them to be, where we assumed they would be."

As for when Groupama-FDJ will claim their next victory, he remains cautious.

"I will not try to answer you. The sooner the better, regardless of the location. I am not in a position to tell you this or that place. We are going there to win. Let us be reasonable and modest. Victory does not depend only on us. So, we will try to be operational to put ourselves in a position to win. But I am unable to tell you at what time and where it will be."

Recruitment, he says, should not be judged too soon into the season.

"Listen, recruitment is not evaluated, as for all those who are present in the team, is not evaluated with only a few weeks of racing. They have 5-6 days of racing on average. So, we are not going to stop at 5-6 days of racing to make a value judgment on the performances of each other. We will let the season progress quietly and there will always be time to talk about it again in a few weeks."

Madiot also addressed the controversy surrounding Stage 1 of the Volta ao Algarve, where most of the peloton took a wrong turn, leading to the stage classification being annulled.

"I can answer you already on Algarve. I can answer you on Algarve. I'm sorry, but the riders, in the hours before the start of the race, have access to the roadbook, distributed by the sports directors. For many riders, there was even a reconnaissance of the finish, carried out in training the day before.

“For those who had not done it, it was the same finish as in previous years. So, if you add to that the viewing of the finish sites in video with the riders during the briefings in all the teams, we are supposed to think that the riders are not taking the wrong route."

He was critical of the decision to annul the results and argued that those who followed the correct course should have been awarded their positions.

"These riders did the right course, had the right feeling about how the race was going, so I don't understand why we didn't keep this ranking, even if it was made easier by the fact that a large part of the peloton made a mistake. But if there had only been two or three riders who had made a mistake, we would have kept the ranking.

“So I don't really understand what happened at the commissaires' level, because once again, the riders are supposed to know the course. And there are people who did the right course. There were no particular difficulties in the final part of the race, so I have trouble understanding why the results of the race were cancelled.

“It doesn't make sense. Several of us asked ourselves the question and I think it's legitimate, because indeed... It depends. The problem is that we have a variable geometry application of the regulations. And it's still a bit of a shame."