Is this the reason for the rise of Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale in 2024? "If I compare the team of today with the team of five years ago, everything is different"
Cycling
Oliver Naesen has seen Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale undergo a
significant transformation in recent years. The team enjoyed its best season
yet in 2024, securing 30 victories, and is continuing to evolve as it builds
towards future success.
As one of the team's most experienced riders, Naesen spoke
to Wieler Revue about how the squad has developed beyond its French roots,
embracing a more international approach.
"The discussions are now held in English. With Luke
Roberts and Luke Rowe, English-speaking team leaders have been added, and so
are the other newcomers to the staff. The French who did not speak English yet
are given lessons. The team has hired a teacher to teach them the language. It
is more or less compulsory for them. Of course, Decathlon also operates much
more internationally than an AG2R. It is important for Decathlon that we also
appeal to the international market."
Comparing the team’s structure now to that of five years
ago, Naesen highlighted the drastic changes that have taken place.
"If I compare the team of today with the team of five
years ago, everything is different. You can't compare them, but it's not like I
was hitting walls then. I couldn't say what had to happen to make the team
better five years ago either. More and more competent people have joined to
work on the structure and to prepare everything behind the scenes to perform. I
have the feeling that everything is ready, but that we only lack the sharp
spearheads to really be a top team."
Despite the shift towards a more structured and
international setup, Naesen acknowledged the charm of the old French team
culture, even if it was more relaxed in comparison to some of the sport’s top
teams.
"The familiarity of a French team is charming, but the
way you spoke to the trainer or coach was looser than I see from the outside at
a team like Team Visma | Lease a Bike. It was more like: do your thing. It has
become stricter. Only when I trained with Greg Van Avermaet in his time at BMC,
he was also as free as a bird in training."
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as 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. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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