"It was important for me to step outside my comfort zone": French rising star finds a new home at Groupama - FDJ

After four years with Arkéa B&B Hotels, Ewen Costiou has been forced to change teams due to the abrupt collapse of his old squad. The 23-year-old has a promising career ahead and he didn't struggle to find a new home, as Groupama - FDJ quickly offered him a spot in the roster.

Speaking from Spain during his first training camp with his new team, Costiou explained in an interview to Le Telegramme, amongst other things, why he chose to remain in a French team and how he feels in the new squad.

“For the moment, everything is perfect, it’s going really well,” Costiou said. “I already knew some riders in the team, and the same goes for the staff. That clearly helped with the integration. It honestly feels like I’ve been in the team for a long time.”

If Costiou decided to stay in a French structure was not because of lack of offers. While several French riders opted to move abroad this winter, Costiou felt that staying in France better suited his current stage of development.

"I'm still very young, I'm not yet a great champion, and I still have a lot to learn. Foreign teams were interested, that's true, but by leaving this year, I might have taken a step too fast in my career. And I wouldn't have arrived with the same status as I do at Groupama - FDJ."

There were certain factors that helped him to take the decision to join Groupama. “Here, I feel like I’m coming in through the front door,” Costiou said. “I know the team works well, and I’ll be able to continue progressing at my own pace.”

Costiou also talked about the disbandment of his former team, Arkéa B&B Hotels, due to lack of funding, and all the uncertainty surrounding the squad in the previus months before it was made official. 

"Let's just say I wanted to see what Emmanuel Hubert [Arkéa's general manager] had to offer. But I couldn't wait indefinitely. I thought to myself, "If the team has nothing after the Tour de France , I'm making a change." I made my decision right after. I loved my years at Arkéa, but I felt I was also reaching a point where I needed to experience something new. Even though I'm staying with a French team, it was important for me to step outside my comfort zone."

Even if almost every former Arkéa rider has been able to find a new team for the upcoming season, not all of them have been successful. At least three riders (Miles Scotson, Michel Ries and Giousè Epis) have not found a new team.

"Even if it's only one or two riders who haven't found a new team, it still hurts. It's never easy to see a rider end their career when it's their passion. The riders, we're just the face of a team. But behind the scenes, there are so many people. And there are still many out of work."