Exodus of top riders leaves Thomas Voeckler as French team’s only big star
The news that Pierrick Fédrigo is to join the FDJ team from 2011 will be a serious blow to his current team Bbox Bouygues Telecom as it bids to rejoin cycling’s top level. The team, managed by Jean-René Bernadeau, lost its ProTour license at the end of 2009; it has reapplied for 2011 but the loss of one of its biggest riders will not help its chances.
Fédrigo has been with Bbox Bouygues Telecom since 2005; in that time “the nose of Marmande” has won the French national championship and three stages of the Tour de France, as well as several other stages and one-day races. He and current French champion Thomas Voeckler are by far the most successful, and highest profile, members of the turquoise and white team. They both took a stage in this year’s Tour de France, and Fédrigo also won the first stage and the overall at the Critérium International.
Following Fédrigo to FDJ are William Bonnet and Steve Chainel; both riders have taken victories for the team this year and their departure leaves Bernadeau’s team short of winners. Also on the way out are Giro d’Italia stage winner Johann Tschopp, bound for BMC Racing, and Yury Trofimov, who is going to Katusha.
Bbox Bouygues Telecom, and with fellow French team Cofidis, lost their ProTour license at the end of 2009 after they were both deemed less worthy than Lance Armstrong’s new RadioShack team and the new British Sky Professional Cycling Team. Both teams were guaranteed an invitation to the Tour de France, their biggest targets of the year, by an agreement in September 2008 between the International Cycling Union (UCI) and the organisers of the three Grand Tours.
Their status as two of the biggest teams in France also worked in their favour for race invitations, but losing so many big riders will not work in Bbox Bouygues Telecom’s favour. Similarly, with Voeckler as the only big star currently on the team’s 2011 roster, Bernadeau’s ProTour application stands very little chance of success.
Conversely, the arrival of Fédrigo, Bonnet and Chainel at FDJ will help in its own ProTour license application. He can win races, it is very comfortable in difficult terrain,” FDJ manager Marc Madiot told l’Equipe. He is a winner who doesn’t need many chances to win. He comes to play in the one-day races and wins stages in stage races.”
Should Bbox Bouygues Telecom and Cofidis fail in their attempt to rejoin the ProTour, and FDJ lose its license, AG2R-La Mondiale would unthinkably be France’s only representative at the sport’s top table.