2017 is a new year, and Team FDJ has risen to a new level. Much to my dismay, FDJ used to be a weak team, exposed in TTT, a team that went with the flow but never put its stamp on a WT race. Things have changed...
L' Equipe FDJ has more depth than ever and is now divided in three groups, with a good amount of flexibility. And the team attracts young French talents...the future. Gaudu is now getting noticed: Maison and Vincent are really good too. It's looking bright.
Marc Madiot was a fantastic rider, but ask Michael Jordan: when you make it to DS or owner, it doesn't always work your way...with the French Lottery committing, the Team is getting better. And Madiot is getting better. His assistants are getting better. Now, riders have their own ITT bike at home and finally get (some of) the resources needed to succeed. It's not Sky, but it's much better.
I won't take the entire first page with the OP, so I won't describe the qualities of each rider. I'll just point out that at the Volta a Catalunya, a make-up TTT team with only Tobias as a specialist finished close to Sky, and was much better than Contador's team. And AG2R, the (friendly) nemesis.
Demare is the best French sprinter, Period. With Cimolai and Garnieri, that's solid. Vichot can help, or be a French Philippe Gilbert type of a rider. And with Steve and Seb, Thibaut Pinot is well surrounded. I could go on and on: all the FDJ riders are good.
FDJ is in a new role, questionable moves have been noted, over-aggressive at times, but FDJ no longer belongs to the bottom-feeder category of pro-cycling. And that is cool
.
L' Equipe FDJ has more depth than ever and is now divided in three groups, with a good amount of flexibility. And the team attracts young French talents...the future. Gaudu is now getting noticed: Maison and Vincent are really good too. It's looking bright.
Marc Madiot was a fantastic rider, but ask Michael Jordan: when you make it to DS or owner, it doesn't always work your way...with the French Lottery committing, the Team is getting better. And Madiot is getting better. His assistants are getting better. Now, riders have their own ITT bike at home and finally get (some of) the resources needed to succeed. It's not Sky, but it's much better.
I won't take the entire first page with the OP, so I won't describe the qualities of each rider. I'll just point out that at the Volta a Catalunya, a make-up TTT team with only Tobias as a specialist finished close to Sky, and was much better than Contador's team. And AG2R, the (friendly) nemesis.
Demare is the best French sprinter, Period. With Cimolai and Garnieri, that's solid. Vichot can help, or be a French Philippe Gilbert type of a rider. And with Steve and Seb, Thibaut Pinot is well surrounded. I could go on and on: all the FDJ riders are good.
FDJ is in a new role, questionable moves have been noted, over-aggressive at times, but FDJ no longer belongs to the bottom-feeder category of pro-cycling. And that is cool