the essential
The Bagnérais experienced a year particularly rich in emotion. From his title of French champion in time trials, to his participation in the Tour and the Vuelta through the disappointment of the Games, the Bigourdan agreed to look back on his first year within the Decathlon-AG2R team .
You have just spent your first full year at Décathlon-AG2R, after leaving the FDJ. How do you judge it?
It's a pretty decent year. I ran a lot, I participated in a lot of competitions. The year was busy in terms of travel, but it was OK in terms of sportsmanship, even if we can always do better. I still took part in two Grand Tours, I almost only did World Tour races, so there is still a certain satisfaction.
So we can say that the choice to leave the FDJ for Décathlon-AG2R paid off?
I think so. Afterwards, we cannot know what my season with the FDJ would have been like. But when we see the season that the team has had, it's true that in terms of results, it's really not bad.
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Exactly, the results: you have regained your title of French champion in the individual time trial. This was your biggest goal of the year.
Yes, it was a real goal, and it will still be one in 2025. It's always something special to wear the blue-white-red jersey on every stage once you are champion of France. That's why I tried to perform on each World Tour time trial. The only problem is that this title of French champion did not open the doors to the Olympic Games for me.
Before addressing this disappointment, when remembering your year, there is also this almost victory at the Dauphiné during the 2nd stage which returns.
175 meters, it seems to me (laughs). It's all the more unfortunate as there was the yellow jersey at the end. Since it was the second stage and all the riders were in the same time, there was a jersey to pick up. It was a shame to fail so narrowly and miss out on such a great victory.
A failure which therefore adds, as you said, to the disappointment of non-selection for the Games. How did you digest it?
It was a hard blow, that's for sure, we shouldn't hide it. You simply have to get over it. The selection was made like that, there was no point in dwelling and dwelling on this disappointment. The Games are every 4 years, and I tell myself that there is still an opportunity in 2028. It is sure that it is a shame not to have been there, but we had to quickly turn the page to move forward.
Among the satisfactions, there is participation in the Tour de France and this special passage at the Tourmalet.
It was a goal to be in the Tour de France because it's not easy to participate, you have to find a place in the team. I was happy that the Tour went through Tourmalet and finished at Pla d'Adet, but I had to be realistic: I knew it was a very complicated stage. It was nice to be in the breakaway at Tourmalet. Emotionally, it's still one of the highlights of my year.
In the process, you complete a second Grand Tour for the first time in your career.
Sportingly and physically, it’s true that it’s a great experience. I finished the Tour de France in good shape, so I was able to continue. It was a step that was beneficial for my career, it allowed me to go a step further. We were lucky enough to have Ben (O'Connor, Editor's note) who wore the red jersey, so it was really a great experience. It’s just on a family level, with my daughter and my partner, that it was hard to manage.
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If we had to sum up your year, we could almost say that it was perfect?
It would have been with the victory at the Dauphiné and a selection for the Paris Games (laughs). Taking everything into account, I would say that it was a decent, drinkable year. I don't want to be satisfied with this year and stick with my achievements. I want to aim even higher in 2025 to progress.
Aim higher, that is to say retain your time trial title and win a stage?
In idea, that's it. Obviously, I want to keep my title to have the chance to wear the blue-white-red jersey again on the roads of the Tour this summer. Afterwards, a step is a goal. The ideal would be on the Tour de France, but ultimately, it doesn't matter, I'll take it wherever it is. I think that this year, I will be a lot of teammate around Félix Gall, so it will be a little more complicated to get my card, but there will be opportunities, that's for sure.
