"It is simply a matter of the team’s survival": Groupama - FDJ forced to change mentality as relegation cycle begins

Groupama - FDJ managed to keep their WorldTour license at the end of 2025, but it was a close call. After finishing the season in 18th place, the last safe spot in the rankings, the French team is changing its approach for the new season.

The 2026 season marks year one of the new UCI promotion/relegation cycle, and Groupama - FDJ is determined not to repeat the mistakes of the previous triennium. The decline was actually huge: they fell from a comfortable 7th in the world rankings in 2023, to 10th in 2024, before plummeting to 18th last season.

"We never spoke about it. We started races to win them, not to score points," Sporting Director Philippe Mauduit said in quotes collected by Sudouest regarding the team's previous approach.

That mindset will change to a more pragmatic one, as the team has realised they will need to focus on securing UCI points in as many races as possible to avoid repeating the same situaiton. Thierry Cornec, who took over the role of General Manager this winter from the legendary Marc Madiot, made it clear that the team needs immediate results.

"2025 didn’t live up to our expectation in terms of wins or world ranking," Cornec admitted during the team presentation. "For 2026, the objective is simple. We want to win more often – more than 20 wins – and win better, by winning again on the Tour de France and getting back into the top 10 overall with David Gaudu."

To achieve those goals, the team is relying on its proven climbers. David Gaudu, who finished 4th in the 2022 Tour de France but had a difficult 2025, will return as a leader. He will be joined by Guillaume Martin, who is known for his consistency in three-week races and is often a reliable source of UCI points, which is exactly what the team needs right now. Martin will have a busy calendar, as he is also scheduled to race the Vuelta a España in August.

While the sporting challenges are exciting, at the end of the day the teams have to pay attention to the UCI points they score, as that is how the system works. A slow start to the 2026-2028 cycle could be catastrophic, and Groupama-FDJ United cannot afford another year like 2025 if they wish to remain in the top tier.

Grégoire, echoing the new management's sentiment, emphasized that the team can no longer be naive about the points system. "It’s important to get off to a good start right away so that we’re in contention for UCI points, then it won’t be an issue anymore and we can focus on winning," he explained.

He acknowledged that the team's comfortable position in the past is gone, and they must adapt to the new reality. "Before, we were fortunate enough not to have to worry about that and not to be concerned about it. Now there has obviously been a change. But it’s an important issue because it’s simply a matter of the team’s survival."