Thomas Siniecki, Media365: published on Tuesday, September 17, 2024 at 11:05 p.m.
The resounding, and above all forced, departure of Vincent Lavenu will remain a defining moment for Decathlon – AG2R.
Julien Jurdie, the number 1 sports director within the Decathlon AG2R team, took the time to make an initial assessment of the season, even if it is not yet over with in particular the Tour of Lombardy (October 12). Inevitably, in this interview granted to our colleagues at Cyclismactu.net, he is asked about his mentor Vincent Lavenu: “It is a complicated subject to approach, since there has been no official communication from the team and I will not make any either”, warns first the one who has worked since 2006 under the orders of the former rider, in the process of being dismissed after having founded the team in 1992.
“We’re going to get our hands dirty again”
Jurdie continues: “Things are written and it’s unfortunate, but we have to turn the page and move forward together. Yes, it affects me personally, of course, but I can’t go into details. Decisions have been made, we have to respect them and we’re going to get our hands dirty again, because there’s a bright future ahead.”
So let’s start with the final weeks to come, where Jurdie would like to get one or two more victories to round off the season. He also mentions the Tour of Guangxi, “an important World Tour stage race for our partners and on which we will have the ambition to get a podium in the general classification, but also stages”. Forced to lose Ben O’Connor, recent second in the Vuelta but who is leaving for Jayco AlUla, the French manager sums up “a very good 2024 season” despite “a difficult Tour de France, whether in terms of the general classification with Felix Gall or on the stages with our sprinter Sam Bennett”. But a superb Giro and of course this extraordinary Vuelta, to use Jurdie’s words again, have largely made it possible to make up for the situation.
