FDJ sponsorship secured through to 2018

FDJ, the French national lottery company, has extended its sponsorship of the French WorldTour team of the same name for a further two years, it was announced at a team presentation on Thursday.

The new deal secures the future of the team, managed by Marc Madiot, through to the end of 2018 and will see the partnership reach a 22nd season, with FDJ having sponsored the team since its inception in 1997.

The news was announced as the FDJ team for 2016 was unveiled at a French sport presentation in Paris on Thursday. Madiot took to the stage to outline the ambitions for the coming season, with a stage and a top-10 overall finish at the Tour de France first on the list, both most likely to be supplied by Thibaut Pinot. Madiot also wants a stage at the Giro d'Italia, strong showings at the French races, and a presence of FDJ riders in the national selections at the Olympic Games and World Championships. 

"Are we allowed to dream?" he asked, before saying: "The elite World Championships title with Arnaud Démare."

FDJ, which stands for Francaise des Jeux, has been title sponsor of Madiot's team since 1997 and has invested in sport more broadly in France, with Stéphane Pallez, who announced the extension, highlighting that the company has invested over 5 billion Euros in sport in France over the last 30 years.