Groupama-FDJ are set to revamp their squad for the 2023 season with the announcement of the signing of seven neo-pros from the Groupama-FDJ Continental development squad.
The French squad has become well-known for promoting young, internally-developed riders in recent years, with eight men making the jump to the WorldTour since 2019 including Jake Stewart, Kevin Geniets, and Lars van den Berg.
Now, following the promotions of Lewis Askey in January and Paul Penhoët on August 1, the list of Groupama-FDJ Continental alumni is set to grow further.
Heading up the list is 19-year-old Giro della Valle d’Aosta champion Lenny Martinez. The teenager, who hails from Cannes, also finished on the podium of the U23 Giro d’Italia and took a top 10 at the Classic Alpes-Maritimes this season and is a highly rated talent.
“I’m very happy to join the WorldTour team. I will have completed all the stages with the Groupama-FDJ team, after the junior programme and the Conti, so it’s a continuity,” Martinez said. “I have learned a lot this year, especially about teamwork, whether it is helping my leaders or being a leader myself and taking advantage of the work of the teammates.
“I am a climber and I like difficult races with a series of climbs and a fast pace. I won the general classification in Valle d’Aosta this year, which validated the good results I had in the mountains. I was also able to compete in several races with the WorldTour team and to be in contact with Thibaut Pinot and David Gaudu. I hope to be able to help David Gaudu in the mountains in the coming seasons. He rides hard – it’s motivating.”
Fellow teenager Romain Grégoire also makes the step up. The 19-year-old is the reigning Liège-Bastogne-Liège U23 champion and won a stage and the points jersey at the U23 Giro.
Twenty-year-old Samuel Watson will make it three Britons at Groupama-FDJ next season. He won Gent-Wevelgem U23 in the spring and also has stages at the Course de la Paix and Tour Alsace to his name, though he’ll perhaps be best known for finishing second to Mark Cavendish at the British National Championships back in June.
New Zealanders Reuben Thompson (21) and Laurence Pithie (20) are next on the list of recruits. Thompson won the Giro della Valle d’Aosta in 2021 and finished second to Martinez this season, also coming fifth at the U23 Giro, while Pithie triumphed at the Baltic Chain Tour last year and has two wins in 2022.
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