“We will have to be smart against the greats like Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar” – But can Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team follow up on best ever season?
Cycling
Julien Jurdie, the long-time boss of Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team, has overseen the team’s progress since 2006. After their most successful season to date in 2024, capped by Ben O’Connor’s stunning second place finish at the Vuelta a Espana, the French squad faces new challenges in 2025, particularly following O’Connor’s departure.
Speaking to Cyclism’Actu, Jurdie shared his thoughts on the team’s early results, the performances of key riders, and the challenges that lie ahead.
A strong start to 2025
With three victories on French roads (two for Sam Bennett at Le Tour de La Provence and one for Dorian Godon at the Tour des Alpes-Maritimes) as well as many podiums, Jurdie expressed satisfaction with the team’s opening weeks.
“Indeed, the first assessment of the start of the season is rather positive. It is clear that there is always a little apprehension following the 2024 season, which was excellent in terms of victories and ranking. We know that it is never easy to confirm after an excellent season. We had no doubts, but rather a little apprehension.
“The work was well done during the December and January training courses, so we knew we were ready. But races remain races, and we need to have a good month of February to be ready for the big events in March.”
He highlighted that the team took a targeted approach to racing in February, avoiding an overly packed schedule to maximise efficiency.
“In February, we already have three wins, seven podiums, and we have been active in all the races we have participated in. We also chose not to race too much in February to be efficient in the races we were present in. The race in Australia started the season well with an excellent place in the general classification for Bastien Tronchon. So the lights are green, and we hope that everything will be fine. We have a few small health issues at the moment with some riders, but overall, the preparation for February went very well.”
Mixed results in Belgium
Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale took an aggressive approach to the opening cobbled classics at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, but Jurdie admitted the results were not as strong as hoped.
"It's clear that from a sporting perspective, we were hoping for a bit better in terms of results, we had higher targets than 13th and 17th. But the positive side is that we raced quite offensively. The races were quite closed, especially on Saturday and Sunday, with weather conditions that were favourable for a fairly peaceful race.
“No rain and not much wind. This led to a fairly cautious race from the main favourites. We tried to dynamite the race, especially on the Omloop on Saturday, by being active in certain key sectors. And on Sunday in Kuurne, we knew there would be a real battle between the sprinters and the classics men.
“We had two options in the team, with Sam Bennett in the sprint and our classic riders. We wanted to avoid remaining passive and waiting for a sprint. Even if Sam is confident after his two victories, we had to be active as well. The result of this weekend is a lack of opportunism on both finishes.
"At the Omloop, Oliver was not lucid enough in the final to do a good sprint, unlike last year when he finished 4th. In Kuurne, we took the initiative too early in the sprint, and that limited our potential. But the physical condition was good, and we saw our riders evolve at a good level.”
Looking ahead to the bigger cobbled races, Jurdie acknowledged that his team is not among the main favourites, that’s now very clearly Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar, but sees opportunities in their collective strength.
“The main thing will be to come back to Belgium for the E3 Grand Prix, the Tour of Flanders, and of course, Paris-Roubaix. You summed it up well, we are not the big favourites for these cobbled races, but we have solid riders like Oliver Naesen, Sam Bennett, Stefan Bissegger, etc.
"Our goal will be to be opportunistic. We have a fairly homogeneous collective, and Stan Dewulf has reached a milestone. I hope he will be able to express himself on these classics. Stefan Bissegger feels very good in the team and will certainly have opportunities.
“We will have to be smart, anticipate and be realistic. We know that against the greats like Mathieu van der Poel, Tadej Pogacar, or Mads Pedersen, we could be a little short to accompany them in the final. But we must find solutions, anticipate with breakaways and a good collective, without regretting our positions. We will also have to position our leaders well in the race.”
Benoit Cosnefroy injury update
A major early-season setback for Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale has been the injury to Benoît Cosnefroy, a key leader in the team’s one-day race strategy.
“Benoît remains our number one leader, and we miss him a lot at the start of the season. He is a boy who particularly enjoys the start of the season and who is very strong in one-day races. Last year, he showed excellent form on the Strade with a nice 6th place. He underwent knee surgery a few weeks ago, and he is currently in rehabilitation.
So, is Cosnefroy in a race against time to be ready for the Ardennes classics?
“He is only just starting to ride a bike on a home trainer. In terms of a return to the bike, it is difficult to give a precise date. We hope that he will be able to return for the Ardennes classics, but it is too early to be certain of his presence.”
Beyond the classics, the team’s next major tests will come at Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico, where they aim for strong performances in the general classification.
“We have two big blocks with Paris-Nice and Tirreno. In Paris-Nice, Felix Gall will be our leader for the general classification, supported by Aurélien Paret-Peintre. In Tirreno, we will also have two leaders for the general classification with Johannes Staune-Mittet and Clément Berthet.
“Sam Bennett will also be present in Tirreno for the sprints, with the ambition to perform on at least three or four stages. Our objectives are realistic: to integrate the top 10 in Paris-Nice and Tirreno. We want to be actors in these two races, with two different groups that can perform. The ambitions are the same: to have a good race as a team and to be competitive on these two big events.”
Safety talk
The start of 2025 has been marred by several high-profile safety incidents, putting the UCI under pressure, with the recent disasters in the Volta ao Algarve and the Etoile de Bessges only adding to the pressure as some riders and teams feel the UCI isn’t doing enough. Jurdie shared his perspective on the situation.
“It's clear that at the beginning of the season, there were several incidents, and it's never easy for the organizers to guarantee perfect safety. But I think the situation is improving. I wasn't present at the races where there were problems, but at the ones where I was, like the races in Spain and Belgium, safety has really improved. The organizers, especially at Flanders Classics and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, are really doing their best to protect the riders.
“Afterwards, it must be remembered that cycling is an atypical sport, with non-privatized roads, which complicates things. But overall, safety has evolved well and is going in the right direction.”
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