'A story I’ll remember for a long time' – One month after retiring, French rider handed career lifeline in surprise move to TotalEnergies

"After 7 intense and memorable years, it's time to hang up the bike," is what Geoffrey Bouchard said on October 13 as he thought his time in professional cycling had come to an end, but just over a month later, TotalEnergies announced him as a surprise signing for 2026.

Bouchard came to the pro peloton late, making his debut with AG2R La Mondiale in 2018 and staying there for the next seven years. Not a prolific winner, Bouchard did have several high points, notably taking the King of the Mountains jersey at the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España. He has one professional victory from a stage of the 2022 Tour of the Alps.

After crashing out of the Tour de Luxembourg and fracturing his collarbone, and amid the current climate of team chaos, with Arkéa-B&B Hotels folding and Lotto and Intermarché heading into a merger, Bouchard accepted that his days were limited and retirement was imminent.

TotalEnergies picked up the phone a few weeks later and offered him a lifeline in the sport, to race for one year as a climbing domestique and mentor some of their younger riders. Bouchard took the opportunity with both hands.

"I had announced my retirement because I had crashed and broken my collarbone at the Tour of Luxembourg. I thought that with the current situation, the closure of many teams, it was going to be very difficult to find a new team," Bouchard told Eurosport France.

"In mid-November, I received a call from the TotalEnergies team. I wondered what the reason for his call was. And now, here I am, back for the 2026 season.

“This is a story I’ll remember for a long time. I was touched by the attention the team showed me. I quickly realized the opportunity, especially since I was preparing to retire from competitive cycling at the end of the year. The discussions convinced me to continue cycling at a high level, within a team that suits me: aggressive and uninhibited."

Bouchard's 2025 season was hit by several injuries, in Luxembourg but also in the Giro d'Italia, where he crashed in the same high-speed corner as Mikel Landa on stage 1 in Albania and fractured his collarbone and vertebrae. With only 35 race days and no wins in a contract year, it's no surprise that he, too, was not anticipating any opportunity to arise.

"It was unexpected, yes. Team TotalEnergies wanted to fill out its calendar and had additional support in the mountains to assist their talented young riders," he said.

"I fit the bill perfectly. I still had that love, that desire to do sport. I don't want to have any regrets about what I didn't do these past few years.

"I still had the ambition to find a team again. As the weeks went by, one thing led to another. I thought it was over. But the discussions I had with the Team TotalEnergies staff gave me a breath of fresh air. I'm going to change my environment. With the minor physical issues I've had in the past, it's a very good thing. And honestly, a few months ago, it was the team I hoped to join, the team I was aiming for."

During his time on TotalEnergies, he will ride under the management of Director of Sport, Benoît Genauzeau, but also long-term team boss Jean-René Bernaudeau, who – despite rumours of his departure – the team confirmed would be staying on for a 27th year as general manager of the Vendée outfit.