After scoring the biggest victory of his career with a solo stage win at this summer's Tour de France, Victor Lafay is aiming to continue that success with his new team Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale in 2024.
The French puncheur, who could previously count stages at the Giro d'Italia and Arctic Race of Norway among his four career victories, has said that he'll be eyeing results at the Ardennes Classics next spring as he embarks on a new adventure after five years at Cofidis.
27-year-old Lafay finished a career-best sixth at La Flèche Wallonne this season, coming home in the group behind winner Tadej Pogačar. He recently told Dutch website In De Leiderstrui that it would be a "dream" to score a big result in the Ardennes.
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"Hopefully, I can continue to develop strongly, just like in previous seasons, because that's an important source of satisfaction," Lafay said.
"Continually improving is a process that appeals to me a lot. First and foremost, I want to do better than in 2023. So, adding to my win total is important in that sense.
"There are also many races that I would like to win, which at the same time really suit my characteristics. For example, I am talking about La Flèche Wallonne or Liège-Bastogne-Liège. It will be difficult to beat guys like Tadej Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel there, but you can always dream."
Lafay, who turned pro with Cofidis in 2019, is at the core of a new-look AG2R squad for 2024, joining sprint star Sam Bennett, 2022 Giro stage winner Dries De Bondt, and Bruno Armirail among the team's major signings for the new season.
He reportedly turned down a €1.5 million salary at his old squad to make the move, while rumours place his new salary at around the €1 million mark. Lafay said that he's happy to remain within a "French cycling culture" going forward, having received offers from numerous foreign teams this season.
"I consciously chose a French team," he said. "Last year I spoke to several teams about my future, even before the Tour de France. It is indeed true that I found it difficult to make a choice.
"Of course, having a choice at all is a kind of luxury position. I was fortunate to be able to make my own choice regarding my future. There were several foreign options for me, but the French cycling culture within this team was certainly my preference. It was the best choice I could make."
Lafay said that his new squad – which waves goodbye to the retiring Greg Van Avermaet but retains GC man Ben O'Connor and Classics stars Oliver Naesen and Benoît Cosnefroy – "can participate in any race for a good result."
As for his own personal goals, he said that a return to the Tour de France and more stage victories will be high on his list along with the Ardennes and a spot at the home Olympic Games in Paris.
"The Tour de France will normally be an important goal for me again," he said. "I could go either way with that, although chasing stage victories is the most obvious choice.
"In any case, I want to have a good year across the board, hopefully with some positive highlights. The Olympic Games are of course organised in France. As a Frenchman, I also have to turn that unique opportunity into a goal."
