23/01/2024

"We don't have Tadej Pogacar or Jonas Vingegaard, but our strength lies in the diversity of riders" - Cofidis bet on developing new talents

Whilst the teams at the top of the cycling world continue to grow stronger and stronger, others struggle to maintain the competitive level. Cofidis is one of the teams who are trying to aim as high as possible with the talent they have got.

"Last season we could see all the work that has been done in recent years. And especially since 2018, the year I joined the team. We have hoped for a stage victory in the Tour de France for a long time, as that had not happened since 2008," Vasseur told L'Équipe. "We have finally caught that vicious circle of victories, with above all an uninhibited team. We can now once again start the new season without psychological prejudices."

"The entire peloton will be happy that Tadej Pogacar's not participating" - Biniam Girmay sees opportunity in rival's absence at Tour of Flanders

The French team rose to World Tour level just a few years ago, but they continue to focus a lot on the French calendar. Competing in the World Tour competitions is hard, when teams such as UAE Team Emirates and Team Visma | Lease a Bike not only gather leaders, but also several riders who could be leaders in other teams.

"We don't have Tadej Pogacar or Jonas Vingegaard, but our strength lies in the diversity of riders. Our goal is also to create or raise up a kind of new Lafay," Vasseur tells. The French puncheur left the team this winter, but impressed at the Tour de France and brought it's most important win of 2023 when he won the second stage of the Tour de France.

Alberto Contador on Remco Evenepoel's Tour de France, and Tadej Pogacar's possible crazy challenge: "If Pogacar wins the Giro and the Tour, he will go for the triple in the Vuelta"

With it's survival at World Tour level also at risk, due to the high competitiveness of the World Tour, Cofidis will have to keep hunting performances in several different levels. "...So I hope that we will get our first victory soon and that it will be a lot easier after that. If we say: today we play the Guillaume Martin card, everyone who has already won will completely slave for him."

"Our main goal is simply to do even better than in previous years. And preferably by shining in the Grand Tours, but also by playing the leading role in a classic more often," the team manager says of it's goals for the upcoming season. "Boys like [Axel] Zingle and Alexis Renard should be able to get into the finals of races such as the Tour of Flanders, Gent-Wevelgem and Omloop Het Nieuwsblad."