"There was a financial aspect" - Marc Madiot rues not being able to sign Vauquelin who is heading to INEOS Grenadiers

Groupama - FDJ is one of the many French teams who currently don't have a big hand in the market, and that has fallen into the criticism of Marc Madiot who believes there is a wrong idea of these teams being too traditional which then potentially costs them strong signings, such as for example Kévin Vauquelin.

The team currently has Romain Grégoire in their ranks as a developing classics rider and is the evidence that within Groupama it is very viable to reach the absolute top level. Cofidis, Arkéa B&B Hotels have mostly had French leaders over the years with few exceptions whilst Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale is the team changing the most currently, mostly due to the arrival of more budget which has allowed them to sign several quality leaders for the 2026 season.

However what triggered this conservation was the signing of Kévin Vauquelin to INEOS Grenadiers, another French talent going to 'foreign' teams in his perspective:

“Another French rider leaving for a foreign team. I know it’s fashionable among French cyclists. But we also need to think about the French teams, which are not as bad or as uncompetitive as some would like to make out," Madiot said in the Grandes Gueules du Sport show. 

“We know that abroad the social system is more attractive. You’re more at ease abroad. If you’re in a French team, it’s immediately harder to manage, especially in terms of media exposure during the Tour de France. For a French rider, life is simply easier in a foreign team in many ways.”

With Arkéa likely disbanding this winter, many teams tried to get a hand of the climber, including Grouapam - FDJ. But Madiot was not able to put the most attractive offer on the table: “We tried. There was a financial aspect, and also the desire to go abroad. That’s his choice.”

“We’ve repeated so many times that French teams are bad, that they don’t know how to train, that they’re unstructured and old fashioned. But when foreign riders join my team, they’re always very surprised," he concluded.