Even towards Pila Félix Gall confirmed himself as the second force of this Giro d'Italia. The Austrian of the Decathlon-CMA he is the protagonist of a maturity and awareness that we have never seen before. Like his team, after all. Even on the Aosta climb, when the race really got going, he still had three riders ahead of him.
And it's precisely his team we want to talk about. In part it's a topic we had already touched on, but from the outside. Now We're doing it with Sebastien Joly, one of the sports directors of the French team at the Giro. Because, okay, Gall, Paul Seixas... but there are many strong riders here. It was evident in the classics, for example... The Giro d'Italia team may not have any big names, aside from Gall, but it was built with great care: strong and, above all, motivated people. And it shows.
The work is widespread and truly a team effort. Luca Guercilena, a team manager as experienced as few others, told us three years ago: «You'll see that they – and he pointed with his chin to the bus of the then Ag2R – will become strong in some time». Strangely enough, the following year, in 2024, they won the team classification right at the Giro.
On the rest day in Viareggio, for example, there were technicians from Deda (and others) who arrived to talk about some specific materials for Seixas in view of the Tour. So the work doesn't stop.
Sebastien, let's start with one thing. This Decathlon CMA CGM is constantly growing...
True, we are growing. The great revolution came with the arrival of Decathlon and Van Rysel in 2024 and with a new owner, Dominique SerieysI think the overall impact of these three elements—Decathlon, Van Rysel, and the new management—has had a huge impact. And with CMA CGM, we have additional funding and support. These are the four elements that make the team bigger and give it stability. The budget allows us to work effectively with regards to training and preparation. This is an aspect that isn't seen much in competition, but there's a lot of work at home, in training camps, and at altitude camps.
And it shows…
Take Felix, for example. Gall was at altitude in the Sierra Nevada in January, on Teide in March and then in Sicily, on Etna, in April. Three altitude training sessions is no small feat. It requires a lot of organization and logistics.
So what is the secret of this new group?
One point that is very important to me, and that is not seen very much, is that we have an extremely efficient sports-logistics hub in Chambéry, With three people working there permanently, they handle all the sports logistics. And this aspect is very important today with such large teams. Let me give you another example.
Please…
For the Grand Departure from Bulgaria, CMA CGM also has a subsidiary called SEVA, which works with Scuderia Ferrari for logistics. All our cars did not go to Bulgaria by highway, but arrived there by truck. Even details like this bring a lot of serenity and calm. The staff is less stressed.
And from the outside, it's obvious. Just as it's obvious that it's not just a question of budget, but of mentality. Is that true?
Exactly. Clearly, a budget is needed to be well-organized and competitive. Even in terms of materials. Our mechanics are constantly updating their skills, even on tires… a bit like Formula 1.
What we're seeing, Sebastien, is that it's not just Félix Gall or Paul Seixas, but everyone else has grown as well. And not just in stage races...
At Roubaix, we finished top 10 with Stefan Bissegger. And at that point, we were present on three fronts. This is because we had many reinforcements, like Cees Bol, who is very solid, and Dan Hoole, who arrived specifically for the Classics. Not counting the absences of Tiesj Benoot and Olav Kooij, who were injured. Now that they're close to returning, they'll be other important riders for us. Other strikers.
Youth sector. The crown jewel is Seixas, but you're making progress. We once went to France to follow some junior competitions and noticed your direct teams and other satellite teams. What can you tell us about that?
We're certainly moving forward with the youth sector, with the juniors and the Continental. Let me give you another example. In 2023, I wasn't yet in the team, and at the time it was still called AG2R Citroën Team. There wasn't the option of having a reserve team, and I remember that the team had to ask the UCI for permission not to ride the Circuit de la Vallée de la Loire. There was a roster of 30 athletes. Too short to run on multiple fronts. Today, the advantage of our development team is that we can let our guys run, but in the meantime let the others recover, because We don't have 28-30 riders, but over 40: 28 in the WorldTour and 13 in the Continental. And for the Europe Tour, everyone is available. This means more rotation. Not only that, but it allows our leaders to rest more and train properly. And without stress.
Let's talk about Félix Gall, who's increasingly solid. Has he really improved his game?
It's always growing. If I compare it, even this year, to vingegaard In Catalonia, he was 45-50 seconds behind Vingegaard. Now he runs a little differently, he stays more hidden, he takes more advantage of the work of his colleagues, like Gregor Muhlberger and Callum Scotson. Now when he attacks… he really attacks. And if he goes too fast, he has the intelligence to run and manage his effort, as seen in the first mountain stage on Blockhaus. So, if we compare those 50 seconds in Catalonia to those of the Giro, I'm fine with that, given that Vingegaard has also improved since then.
Silly question, but is your concrete goal now the podium?
Yes, clearly the goal is the podium. On the podium are third, second, and first...
In short, dreaming isn't entirely impossible. Sebastien, we can't help but ask you about your star: Paul Seixas. We've talked about the team's budget and working methods, but how much enthusiasm does the presence of a French champion in a French team bring? Could this be the fifth element?
True, as you say, he's the fifth element... Clearly, a rider like Seixas gives a lot, he brings enthusiasm. A desire to do well. We are a French team, but I would say that we are now an international team based in the French Alps.For me, we're a good mix. We're somewhere between the Latin cultures of Italians and Spanish, but we're French, and now we have a great contribution from the Anglo-Saxon experience. A 100 percent French team, like it used to be, can't work today.
Since Seixas will be at the Tour, and he'll need to be supported as best he can on the climbs, will we also see Gall at the Grande Boucle?
As of today, Felix is not expected to be at Tour of France, But I can say that there are still possibilities. However, I repeat: the Tour is not included in his program.
