Last Tuesday (16), during an interview with Cyclism’actu magazine, the sporting director of Groupama-FDJ, Marc Madiot, stated that cycling needs to make changes to establish itself even more among professional sports, claiming that it will not be possible rumors and speculation affect the dynamics of the category.
“We need to maintain our values and our points of reference and I expect a lot from the UCI in this regard. I don’t want them to just focus on the height of their socks, I want them to take care of regulating our sport. Some kind of balance in the levels of competitiveness between the different members of our sport must be established if we want cycling to advance and develop”, said the businessman.
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Furthermore, he reported that one of the speculations that directly affected the movement of the teams, as well as their dynamics, was the possible merger between two strong teams Jumbo-Visma and Soudal Quick-Step. Not to mention that the administrative process between Bora-Hansgrohe and one of its pilots also shook the structures.
“Can and should cycling be better? You have no choice but to do this, because otherwise you will be devoured by other sports. We cannot forget that there is a fight between all sports for sponsors and funds”, said the sporting director of Groupama-FDJ, Marc Madiot.
Regarding the changes at Groupama-FDJ, with the retirement of Thibaut Pinot and other athletes, the businessman stated that all driver management is being organized and structured to ensure a good season. “It’s a new chapter, a new book, a new story. There is ambition, motivation and determination, I’m not particularly apprehensive about next year,” he concluded.