Aurélie Sacchelli, Media365, published on Friday January 10, 2025 at 12:32 p.m.
Recruited by Movistar for 2024, Rémi Cavagna went through hell within the Spanish team, which he decided to leave for Groupama-FDJ. On the sidelines of the presentation of his new team, the Clermontois looked back on his difficult year.
In October 2023, Rémi Cavagna announced his arrival at Movistar for three seasons and said his “pride to join this team. Joining the Movistar team is like being part of the history of cycling, with so many big names having competed under these colors.” But the French rider quickly became disillusioned, to the point that he decided to terminate his contract after a year, in order to join Groupama-FDJ, where he signed for 2025 and 2026. This week marked the presentation of the Marc Madiot’s team for this new season, and Rémi Cavagna had the opportunity to tell various media about the ordeal he experienced at Movistar, a team which did not sparks in 2024, with only eight victories on the clock. “It was a chain of bad circumstances. A vicious circle. I got lost. I forgot myself. When I looked at my time trial results… I had never done that in my career. Even during my first professional seasons, I was superior. There was a sort of blockage, mentally, not a depression… but almost. cannot perform. It had an impact on my family life, my girlfriend, at home… When you come back from a race, you failed, you were terrible, it’s not okay. The mood is not great. It wasn’t me. My friends and family no longer recognized me,” admits Cavagna (29 years old) toEurosport.
Cavagna: “I didn’t even want to get on the bike anymore”
In the columns of The Mountainthe Clermontois adds: “I went through the worst period of my career. My family, my loved ones, everyone said to me: “but Rémi, what’s happening to you? We don’t see you anymore.” It’s all true. I got completely lost. I signed the attendance sheet at the start of the races. But in the end, Rémi was not in the race. In training, it was fine. But in the race, I suffered. It’s not just physical, it’s psychological too. We know that in cycling, it’s so difficult that it comes down to seconds. I didn’t even want to get on the bike anymore. I fought though. I did everything to fit in. I learned Spanish. In the end, having learned Spanish is all that I get out of anything positive.” At least, his year 2024 (64 days of racing, only one Top 10, finishing 4th in the French time trial championships) n will not have been completely lost…
