"Pogacar is still human, he’ll have more difficult moments" – Groupama's newest Classics threat insists French team can challenge for big wins this Spring

Bastien Tronchon knows exactly what he is walking into. The Spring Classics are chaos, pressure and power all rolled into one, and now, in new colours, he is being asked to step forward rather than hide.

After leaving the Decathlon set up for a three-year deal with Groupama - FDJ United, the Frenchman is not pretending this is a gentle transition. He wanted change, he wanted responsibility, and most of all, he wanted a chance to grow.

“It was important to think about myself and to keep developing as a rider,” Tronchon explained in conversation with Cyclism'Actu. “At Groupama-FDJ United, I’ll have an important role in the early-season Flemish classics, and that’s really what motivated me to join this project.”

That role is not symbolic. Tronchon is being positioned as a genuine card to play in the brutal northern races that define March and April.

Tronchon has built his reputation on toughness rather than glamour. His breakthrough came in 2022 when, as a stagiaire, he won a stage at the Vuelta a Burgos on just his third day with the pro team. Since then, his career has leaned towards hard one day racing and demanding terrain.

In 2025 he took his biggest win to date at Tro Bro Leon, a race famous for mud, chaos and attrition rather than clean sprint finishes. That victory, along with consistent results in hilly and classics-style races, is what made him attractive to his new team.

Those are exactly the kinds of races he thrives on. “The Flemish classics are always complicated,” he said. “You have to expect anything, it bounces around in every direction, so much happens. But that’s exactly what I like: hard races, warrior races. Mentally, you have to be ready, and I will be.”

“We might not have the rider who automatically stands out like a Van der Poel, but we have a very solid and well-balanced team. With riders like Valentin Madouas, we’ll have several cards to play in the finals, and that’s a real strength.”

Until now, Tronchon had only ever known one structure at WorldTour level. Leaving was not easy. “You doubt a bit at the start, because I hadn’t known anything else,” he admitted. “But what convinced me was the role that was offered. Decathlon was going in another direction, and here I found a role that suits me perfectly: leader at the start of the season, then support for other objectives, with more chances to play my own card later in the year.”

That clarity matters. Rather than being a permanent helper, Tronchon is being asked to take responsibility in the races that suit him best, then switch into support mode later in the calendar.

He has also had a quick education in the culture of his new team, particularly under the influence of long-time boss Marc Madiot. “I was lucky enough to experience one of his speeches at the December training camp, and I can assure you, it really does something to you. In the moment, you almost feel like you’re being told off, but afterwards, it gives you a real boost.”

Talking about Pogacar in the Classics is unavoidable. But Tronchon does not see inevitability. “There will always be race circumstances. Pogacar is still a human being, he’ll also have more difficult moments. On our side, we have a very solid and well balanced team, and that will be our biggest strength in 2026. We’ll have to know how to play the right cards.”

That is the tone of his new chapter: realistic, but not intimidated.

Asked what he wants from the season, his answer is simple. “Victories. Strade Bianche is still my dream race for now. I’ve already done quite a lot of Flemish classics, but that’s the one that makes me dream the most today.”

Whether those wins come in Tuscany’s white roads or Belgium’s cobbles, Tronchon is no longer riding quietly in the background. This Spring, Groupama’s newest Classics threat is expected to be part of the story, not just a footnote in it.