Mathieu Warnier, Media365, published on Wednesday November 27, 2024 at 8:10 p.m.
While the Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale team was successful during the 2024 season, its boss Dominique Serieys plans to see confirmation in 2025.
The Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale team shone in 2024. Led by Ben O'Connor, second in the Vuelta then vice-world champion, the Savoyard team totaled 30 victories and finished the season in sixth place in the world. During an interview given to the regional daily The Dauphiné Libéréhis boss Dominique Serieys took part in the assessment game, admitting that the new state of mind of his runners came after hearing their answers to the question “Why are you running?” “. While the latter highlighted the imperative of scoring UCI points, that of highlighting sponsors or the fact that participating in certain races was obligatory, the boss of the Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale team admitted to having increased the tone. “Before the content of the answers deteriorated, I told them: 'Everything you are telling me is not understandable. When you take part in a race, it's to win,' he said. From there, the runners questioned themselves. I also told them that they had to shine the jersey. » Dominique Serieys affirms “that something clicked” because twelve of his runners were able to raise their arms as winners this year. A 2024 season that the boss of the Savoy training readily presents as being “of construction” in a long-term project, with “a year 2025 of consolidation” which will be followed by a “three-year program from 2026 to 2028 which will be a period of ambitions.” As for the objectives for the next twelve months, they are very clear.
Serieys wants “higher quality” victories
“Staying in the Top 8 of the UCI ranking because sixth place is a very good result when we see the teams in front of us and those who are behind,” adds Dominique Serieys. The objective will also be to achieve between 20 and 25 victories. » But it is above all a question of seeking “higher quality” successes, particularly in the one-week stage races while targeting “also the distinctive jerseys and continuing to aim for the Top 5 on the Grand Tours”. This will require a renewed workforce, with the departures of Ben O'Connor or Valentin Paret-Peintre who will be offset by the promotion of junior time trial world champion Paul Seixas or the arrival of Stefan Bissegger. This interview also allowed Dominique Serieys to respond to the sometimes defeatist discourse of other leaders of French professional teams, who deplore in particular a lack of fairness with other teams from the point of view of taxes and other social charges. Affirming that “cycling carries incredible values and international benefits”, the boss of the Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale team urges his opponents, most of whom benefit from “good budgets” to be ambitious. “The duty of team leaders is to convince their partners that the 30% additional budget will make it possible to achieve the set objectives,” he says. In any case, Dominique Serieys intends to maintain his team at the highest level after a successful year 2024 sportingly but intense internally with in particular the departure of founder Vincent Lavenu.
