Cycling: 2023 will be a very special year for Team Groupama – FDJ. Numerous self-trained talents switch to the professional team. What can the young guns achieve in their first season?
Pinot has long since been replaced as the star of the team
was for years Thibaut Pinot the undisputed star of the Equipe Groupama – FDJ. The 32-year-old Frenchman is still a top driver, but he is no longer the only star of the team. In 2022 he won a stage of the Tour of the Alps and one of the Tour de Suisse. He was also 14th in the Tour de France and 17th in the Vuelta a Espana. With these good results, Pinot made a comeback of sorts after surviving at least one really difficult year. However, he is now overshadowed by some of his teammates. Valentin Madouas For example, although he only won the Tour du Doubs and two stages of the Tour of Luxembourg, the French made his breakthrough with tenth place in the Tour de France and third place in the Tour of Flanders. He symbolizes the changing of the guard in the high mountains together with his fellow countryman David Gaudi. With a stage win at the Volta ao Algarve and the Critérium du Dauphiné, he was only able to celebrate victories twice, but he just missed the podium at the Tour de France with fourth place.
Küng & Démare probably had their best year
So things were going well for Groupama - FDJ and we're not even over that yet Stefan Kung and Arnaud Demare spoken. Both were probably able to get the best year of their careers in 2022. The Swiss won several time trials, but he was particularly good at surprising people in the mountains and convincing in the classics. At E3 Harelbeke, Paris – Roubaix, the Amstel Gold Race, the Ronde van Vlaanderen and at Dwars door Vlaanderen he finished in the top eight. And Démare won the points classification and three stages at the Giro d'Italia, as well as the one-day race Paris - Tours.
Will Groupama - FDJ succeed in becoming the absolute top team?
The development of Groupama - FDJ shows that the French team has actually changed course in recent years. They are no longer a middle-class team that has to seek salvation on the run or relies on Thibaut Pinot. Many different drivers can ensure the desired success - and on the most diverse terrain. This will not change in 2023, because with Anthony Roux, Sebastien Reichenbach, Ramon Sinkeldam, and Attila Valter and four other drivers you lose years of companionship, but they were never really winners. Therefore, the team management did not see the need to replace the departures with well-known additions. Instead, they rely entirely on young people – their own! Seven new names appear in the professional squad of Groupama - FDJ. They all come from the Equipe continentale Groupama – FDJ, so to speak, their own junior team. The oldest of them is just 21. But two 19-year-olds look particularly promising. lenny martinez and Romain Gregoire are considered huge talents. So we can look forward to an exciting season from Groupama – FDJ.