Bike manufacturer BMC have announced the end of their three-year partnership with WorldTour squad AG2R Citroën, with the French team expected to partner with Decathlon’s performance road brand, Van Rysel for 2024.
The team has been rumoured to make the change since the spring, ending their association with Swiss brand BMC having switched from Eddy Merckx bikes for the 2021 season.
BMC had previously supplied South African squad Qhubeka and Phonak and also ran their own BMC team between 2007 and 2018.
AG2R’s move away from the brand means that the company won’t be present in the WorldTour in 2024. However, ProTeam Tudor Pro Cycling will be racing on BMC next season after extending their deal for six years earlier this year.
AG2R Citroën have scored 32 wins and 106 podium spots aboard BMC bikes, including stage wins at the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, and Vuelta a España, the latest of which was delivered by Felix Gall at this year’s Tour.
“We would like to thank BMC for these three years of collaboration, during which the team has been able to ride very high-level bikes and which has given great satisfaction to the riders and technicians, both in terms of equipment and human resources,” said AG2R Citroën general manager Vincent Lavenu.
“We were very proud to ride for this prestigious, world-renowned brand.”
Van Rysel, the brand launched by French chain Decathlon in 2018, is widely expected to step in as bike supplier for AG2R. French newspaper Ouest France first reported the news back in April.
The company currently supplies Cofidis with casual and cycling wear, though the squad races on the bikes of Italian brand De Rosa. Van Rysel boss Nicolas Pierron had stated earlier in the year that the company’s wish “is to return to the WorldTour in 2023.”
Decathlon has a history of supplying bikes to top-level teams, with AG2R and Cofidis having both raced aboard Decathlon brand bikes in the past.
AG2R aren’t the only team to change up their bike suppliers for the 2024 season Lotto-Dstny are set to make the move from Ridley to Orbea, while Groupama-FDJ will end their long-standing 22-year partnership with Lapierre.
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