Alexis Gougeard will rejoin the WorldTour in 2024 after signing a one-year contract with Cofidis. The Frenchman had dropped down to the amateur ranks for the 2023 season following the collapse of the B&B Hotels squad last winter.
“I’m very happy that the team has shown confidence in me,” Gougeard said in a statement released by Cofidis on Friday. “All season, my objective was to bounce back, to show I was capable of getting to professional level again. I’m pleased to see that Cofidis has taken note of the work I’ve done these past months.”
A native of Rouen in Normandy, Gougeard returned to his local club, VC Rouen 76, in the wake of the demise of B&B Hotels, where he had spent the 2022 season. The 30-year-old claimed a number of wins on the domestic scene this year, including Le Caux Tour, the Grand Prix de Neufchâtel-en-Saosnois and the overall classification at the Tour des Deux-Sèvres-Magasins. Gougeard also made a notable solo effort of more than 120km at the French amateur championships before placing seventh in Cassel.
“I’m particularly grateful to VC Rouen 76 who accompanied me all season and who gave me a lot of freedom,” said Gougeard. “That allowed me to regain my confidence and I have to thank them for this beautiful adventure.”
Gougeard first turned professional with AG2R in 2014 and he scored his biggest victory the following year when he won a stage of the Vuelta a España in Avila. The Frenchman would spend a total of eight seasons with Vincent Lavenu’s squad, forming a key part of their cobbled Classics unit, before he moved to B&B Hotels in 2022.
“We had already talked to Alexis about joining our ranks, but it never happened,” said Cofidis manager Cedric Vasseur, who added that Gougegard would play a key role on the cobbles for his new team.
“We've been watching his progress this year, and given the results he's already achieved professionally and his superiority at amateur level, we're delighted to offer him the chance to prove what he's capable of at the highest level.”
