Decathlon has been presented as the new title sponsor for the AG2R La Mondiale team, significantly boosting the French team’s budget for the next five years, with Ireland’s Sam Bennett and Victor Lafay revealed as major new signings for 2024.
The French WorldTour team will be known as Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale from January 1 and use Decathlon’s in-house Van Rysel brands of bikes, helmets and sunglasses.
Van Rysel has worked with Swiss Side, Deda Elementi and Onera, the French aerospace research centre, to develop their RSR road race bike and the FCR time trial bike.
During a presentation at the Decathlon headquarters, near Lille in northern France, Decathlon made their ambitions clear, saying they will significantly boost the team’s budget to give Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale the budget and technology to take on the biggest teams in the WorldTour.
The new colours include Decathlon’s colours of sky blue and white. The team has replaced its stand-out brown shorts for more traditional black shorts. Italian brand Rosti will produce the race clothing.
It's thrilling and emotion driven moment, filled with pride and excitement," Decathlon CEO Martin Coppola said after the riders showed off the new jersey.
"We're embarking on a very special journey. It's a pleasure that together we can get the team to the next level. What amazing talent you have and I really hope everyone will be very proud of the performances and the journey.
"We want to be one of the greatest global cycling brands and this is a very big milestone for us."
Team manager Vincent Lavenu talked about the team's ambitions for 2024.
"We've won a stage the Tour de France for the past five years and so we want the same success, so winning a stage but also a great GC. Felix Gall was eighth last year, so why can't we finish in the top five next year?" the veteran French team manager said.
"We've finished second in Paris-Roubaix and second in Liege-Bastogne-Liege in recent years and been up there in the Tour of Flanders. The team we have means we can be up there in the big five major races. Then the young generation makes us very hopeful for 2204 and beyond."
The 2024 Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale roster includes Australia’s Ben O’Connor, Benoît Cosnefroy, Tour de France stage winner Felix Gall, Aurélien Paret-Peintre, Oliver Naesen and the USA’s Larry Warbasse.
Bennett’s arrival gives Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale a new source of sprint success and offers him a chance to reboot his career. The 33-year-old only won three minor races in 2023 after not being selected for the Bora-Hansgrohe Tour de France squad and then being blighted by illness.
"Many things influenced my decision to join the team," Bennett revealed on stage at the presentation.
"When I was a young amateur rider, I watched Philip Deignan and Nicolas Roche race in the team, they were riders I looked up to.
"Then I saw a big opportunity to come to this team, to get an amazing race programme, to work with Van Rysel, which is fantastic too. I think it’s the best environment for me to be in to reach my top level. I’m excited and it’s a new adventure."
O’Connor won a stage in the Alps and finished fourth overall in 2021 but struggled with illness and injury in 2022 and 2023. He finished third overall in the Critérium du Dauphiné but then lost time on stage 1 of the Tour and so went in breakaways, twice finishing third in Issoire and Poligny.
"I don’t think this year was an absolute failure. It wasn’t what I’d always dreamed about but I still found success and was able to race aggressively, do my thing, be part of the race and feel there’s always a chance to win," the Australian said.
"I just needed a little bit more fortune and a little bit more health. That could have helped me to get through to the end of races still feeling great.
"Last season was one of the most amazing with Felix and his stage win. I hadn’t really helped a teammate like that before. He was clearly one of the strongest in that Tour, so to pull it off was a memorable experience. It's something I’ll take away as one of the big events of the year."
