TotalEnergies be saved? Reports indicate that the French ProTeam will set up a women's structure in 2027

The TotalEnergies will undergo a structure earthquake, because its title sponsor is set to leave for Netcompany INEOS at the end of this year. So what will the future of the French outfit look like? Well, while the details remain kept a secret, rumours surface that the team's rebirth could include a new women's team.

The National Championships week is a perfect opportunity for teams to gather at their headquarters with not much international competition on the menu. For TotalEnergies team manager Stéphane Heulot, it'd be a good chance to finalize the future plans for his team, potentially including a new sponsor announcement.

"It's progressing very well; announcements will be made shortly regarding certain aspects of the structure," Heulot declared optimisticly in an interview for DirectVelo two weeks ago.

However Le Télégramme points out, that Heulot has potponed the promised "further announcements" internal by a couple weeks multiple times by now, recalling the B&B Hotels fiasco from four years back.

In any case, some activity related to Heulot's formation seems to be happening in the background after all.

According to Le Télégramme, there are plans to establish a women's team of their own next year. Not a fully new structure, Heulot would be in charge of a merger of club teams Vendée Féminines RVC and La Roche Vendée Cyclisme. The new women's team would then enter the continental level.

This news suggests that Heulot has indeed secured funds to keep his project above water for 2027 and beyond, with the oncoming sponsors' investment possibly tied to setting up a women's project to run alongside the men's ProTeam.