Decathlon AG2R - La Mondiale could need a thread

[Wyndbrook]

Probably misidentification with another team, so many look the same,
Old kit was great for spotting them,
Decathlon prices will go up to pay for all this rebounding.

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

What's happening with Geoffrey Bouchard?

 

[pastronef]

What's happening with Geoffrey Bouchard?

he's training (from 50 km to 180 km rides) around Chambery and in Girona lst month. he's still recovering from an injury, he had to leave the Vuelta last year

"I tell myself I will be able to bounce back" - Geoffrey Bouchard hopes for much better season with Decathlon

After a promising start to the 2023 season, with big performances at the Tour of Oman and the UAE Tour, Geoffrey Bouchard was then unable to carry on his good spring legs to the rest of the season, pa...

cyclinguptodate.com

 

[Rob5091]

Team trainer Stephen Barrett gushes about his employer and their desire to be one of the best
https://velo.outsideonline.com/road...ort-superstore-put-decathlon-ag2r-at-the-top/

Who the heck are Decathlon you might be asking? Surely there's a man/woman/person behind all this moolah? Michael Leclercq is the man who started Decathlon in Lille (guess where the Tour starts next year!) but he's in his 80s now so like the Murdochs at Sky someone else must be pushing for this.

Edit - so having a dig around the web, it seems the Mulliez family foundation (AFM -Association Familiale Mulliez ) are the one's holding the purse strings

https://www.manager-magazin.de/maga...des-sport-discounter-decathlon-a-1145728.html (original in German but online translating give you the gist)

First alone, then together: that's how it was at Decathlon. The chain Michel Leclercq (77), offspring from the sixth trunk, was founded. The young Michel has learned from Cousin Gérard in Auchans' meat department. In 1976 he started his own business with Decathlon. When the expansion became too expensive for Leclercq, the family stepped in.

Edit 2 - add https://www.decathlon.com/blogs/inside-decathlon/decathlon-announces-new-chief-executive-officer

Fabien Derville, Chairman of the board of Decathlon, announces the appointment of Barbara Martin Coppola as Chief Executive Officer of the group....effective mid-March 2022. [the first time the Decathlon group hired externally for this role.]
Barbara Martin Coppola, 45-year-old French and Spanish binational, has a successful track-record of transforming and growing large-scale companies globally. She has a strong digital and business background, developed over 20 years working and living in nine countries worldwide. Prior to Decathlon, she held leading positions in several global businesses such as IKEA, Google, YouTube, Samsung and Texas Instruments.

So a new CEO in 2022 and then a deal with AG2R ... The Tour is the biggest cycling event and gives many hours of TV promotion around the globe, add in the Netflix etc etc and sounds like a sound move. Also might placate the French authorities who are looking at "creative" tax plans.

 

[Rob5091]

You've gotta laugh ... ok, you don't have to but awarding a woman a "cojones" award is amusing - wonder where Babs keeps it!

 

[Bolder]

Interesting that the team salary budget hasn't increased, would explain loss of vpp and O'Connor. They still lack a truly top rider; Gall didn't really step up this year and Lafay is apparently suffering from an injury.

 

[ppanther92]

Interesting that the team salary budget hasn't increased, would explain loss of vpp and O'Connor. They still lack a truly top rider; Gall didn't really step up this year and Lafay is apparently suffering from an injury.

Gall clearly stepped down. He should get another year as captain obviously but then thats already time to deliver for him.

 

[Rob5091]

Decathlon have only 26 riders down for next year, so they need to replace Bardet and O'Connor tout suite. That won't be so easy with the wealthier teams hunting for the next Pogi. Maybe they'll have to go with the Moneyball approach.

So as Babs Coppola came in one door at Decathlon, founder of what became AG2R, Vincent Lavenu, was going out other one in 2022.
https://inrng.com/2024/08/exit-team-founders/

https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...-in-relation-to-franck-bonnamours-doping-case

An opportune time to move into sponsoring a WT team, I guess.

 

[tobydawq]

Decathlon have only 26 riders down for next year, so they need to replace Bardet and O'Connor tout suite. That won't be so easy with the wealthier teams hunting for the next Pogi. Maybe they'll have to go with the Moneyball approach.

So as Babs Coppola came in one door at Decathlon, founder of what became AG2R, Vincent Lavenu, was going out other one in 2022.
https://inrng.com/2024/08/exit-team-founders/

https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...-in-relation-to-franck-bonnamours-doping-case

An opportune time to move into sponsoring a WT team, I guess.

Bardet?

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Bardet?

Maybe they‘re a bit slow with replacing people.

 

[Rob5091]

Not Bardet of course. He's over at DSM. You just can n't get the staff anymore ...

 

[Calicimber]

Interesting that the team salary budget hasn't increased, would explain loss of vpp and O'Connor. They still lack a truly top rider; Gall didn't really step up this year and Lafay is apparently suffering from an injury.

With top cyclists getting younger and younger they will throw it straight to Seixas next year.

 

[staubsauger]

Lavenu has been fired by AG2R? 😮

 

[Rob5091]

Lavenu has been fired by AG2R? 😮

https://inrng.com/2024/08/exit-team-founders/

Reduced to an employee, this week L’Equipe noticed that Lavenu had vanished from the organigram on the team website and reported he was given notice of his dismissal at the end of July, which caused him to fall ill, even requiring paramedics being sent to the team HQ although fortunately they write he didn’t need to get in the ambulance. A brutal end, certainly not the exit he would have liked.

I've just worked out who Babs Coppola looks like - Sam Bankman Fried! Can you tell them apart?!

 

[pastronef]

AG2R sponsor set to leave and L'OREAL joining (from the Gruppetto forum)

 

[RedheadDane]

AG2R will cease to be AG2R?

Are they... allowed to do that?

 

[Dazed and Confused]

A little tribute to AG2R for playing a major role in sponsering our sport for years is in order: Chapeau AG2R.

 

[RedheadDane]

@tobydawq, suggestion for new thread title:

"Decathlon-L'OREAL - Because they're worth it!"

 

[Wyndbrook]

Barnet first leaving and now retiring, now no meaning in their life or reason to continue.

 

[Mayomaniac]

@tobydawq, suggestion for new thread title:

"Decathlon-L'OREAL - Because they're worth it!"

But what will happen to bald riders?

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

But what will happen to bald riders?

They will transfer to Alpecin, where their hair will recover.

 

[pastronef]

the big bucks coming from L'Oreal now are the clue for the new riders coming, Benoot, Kooj, Riccitello, Hoole, Ghys, Van Wilder (rumored)

 

[Alexandre B.]

But what will happen to bald riders?

Good thing John Gadret left the team to found his own.

 

[noob]

Is this sponsorship really a true match? Will it be infallible?

 

[noob]

So the sponsor rumour was nor a true match nor infallible

https://www.ouest-france.fr/sport/cyclisme/decathlon-ag2r-la-mondiale/cyclisme-ag2r-remplace-par-loreal-lequipe-decathlon-va-changer-de-co-sponsor-en-2026-79226ad4-46ba-11f0-be2d-492a352fc811