The Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale team will reportedly have a budget of 26 million Euro for 2024, three million more than in 2023, with new management, new sponsors, new riders and plans to create a new women’s team for 2025.
The team’s Junior and Under 23 development sides will also continue, offering a stream of talented young riders who can swap in and out of the WorldTour squad during the season.
French insurance brand AG2R La Mondiale has been a long-term sponsor of the team but agreed to Decathlon becoming the team’s first name and major sponsor.
Citroën came on board as a title sponsor in 2021 but decided to end their sponsorship early, leaving a hole of six million euros in the team’s budget. They remain as vehicle sponsors in 2024 but the loss of their funding had put the future of the team at risk.
Fortunately, Decathlon, who sponsored the team’s bikes between 2000 and 2007, decided the time was right to promote their name globally and give their high-end cycling brand Van Rysel credibility by sponsoring a WorldTour team.
AG2R La Mondiale has become a shareholder in the team, welcoming Decathlon as a partner as part of a five-year deal. Long-term team boss Vincent Lavenu’s role will change from that of General Manager to Sports Manager. The arrival of Decathlon makes the team far more global with the team presentation done in English and streamed globally.
“It’s an exceptional, historic moment,” Lavenu said during the presentation.
“The team was at risk of disappearing, so the first goal was to sustain things over time. Now we’re sure to go on until 2028, with encouraging prospects. A budget of 26 million Euro will position us at a good level. But it’s important to remember that, unlike many foreign teams, our riders are salaried and that we pay social security contributions.”
Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale have signed Sam Bennett from Bora-Hansgrohe and Tour de France stage winner Victor Lafay from Cofidis. The Irish sprinter is hoping to return to his best in July after two difficult seasons with the German team, while Lafay will also target the Ardennes Classics.
The 2024 Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale roster also includes Australia’s Ben O’Connor, who was fourth in the 2021 Tour de France, former under-23 world champion and hilly Classics rider Benoît Cosnefroy, 2023 Tour de France stage winner Felix Gall, Giro d’Italia stage winner Aurélien Paret-Peintre, Belgian Classics specialist Oliver Naesen and…
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