Cycling: The French team TotalEnergies had – as expected – a difficult year in 2024. 2025 will not be easy for them either, as management mistakes from the past are still having an impact.
TotalEnergies 2024: Fewer points, more hope
Compared to the previous year, the TotalEnergies 2024 team has almost 1.000 Points less in the UCI ranking. However, this year has not been a clear step backwards. Having only dropped from 22nd to 23rd place, the squad has been significantly restructured. 13 victories and 20 further podium finishes are impressive. The greatest success was certainly the stage win at the Tour de France, for which Anthony Turgis It was almost Matteo Vercher also managed to win the domestic Grand Tour – but only almost. Apart from these two strokes of genius, that was it for podium places at WorldTour level. Many points in smaller races were mainly achieved by Emilien Jeanniere, Jordan Jegat and Mathieu Burgaudeau.
Two drivers end their careers
In recent years, the TotalEnergies team has clearly bought according to the motto "names, not talents". With Peter Sagan, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Niki Terpstra, Rein Taaramäe and Sylvain Chavanel, they have brought very impressive names into the team year after year, but all of them were already past their prime. As a result, the desired results were not achieved. But the money was paid. That is now set to change. This was already clearly noticeable during the transfer phase last season - and it is the same this time. With Julien simon and Alexis Vuillermoz Two drivers are ending their careers after having been significantly less successful in 2024. The departures of Dries van Gestel, Valentin Ferron and Paul Ourselin. Eight new Frenchmen will join the team, many of whom are only known to the greatest cycling experts.
TotalEnergies will need some time
Alexandre Delette and Samuel Leroux have already ridden for a few teams, but will probably not reach the WorldTour level. There is more hope for the younger newcomers. Joris Delbove for example, won the GC of the Tour Alsace this year. Valentin Retailleau grabbed a stage win at the Boucles de la Mayenne. These are not the biggest races either, but at least six of the eight newcomers are 26 years old or younger. The greatest hopes can probably be placed in Rayan Boulahoite He is a relatively unknown quantity because he has only ridden for Club Vendée U (the club's own junior team). But he is considered a strong all-rounder with a lot of potential. He was able to show this this year at the Tour du Maroc and the Flèche du Sud, among others. Two small and less well-attended tours, but with very demanding stage profiles. Either way, TotalEnergies must hope for a good development of its own talents and then make good decisions in the next transfer window.