Kevin Vauquelin was about to achieve a small but great feat by winning the Tour de Suisse, too bad for him and for the Arkea-B&B Hotels that he found on his way a formidable Joao Almeida and a battleship like the UAE EmiratesIt would have been the first victory by a Frenchman in a WorldTour race since 2007, when Christophe Moreau won the Dauphiné.
Vauquelin remained in the lead of the Swiss race until the final time trial. But throughout the week, he fought head-on against everyone. He even relaunched at the finish line in Emmetten, with a sprint that missed him winning by just a few metres, only to then give in by a few centimetres to Almeida himself. He made the best use of the team, and those few men – including our own Alessandro Verre – closed down the breakaways for a long time and held the race.
Between dream and harsh reality
Something normal, if you like, but not in the current situation of Arkéa-B&B Hotels, which is sailing in troubled waters, not to mention in the midst of a hurricane. It's precisely in cases like these that we see how much motivation and performance increase when something big is at stake. Then the Stockhutte time trial brought Vauquelin and his companions back to earth.
«I'm obviously disappointed – he declared to the media present at the Tour de Suisse after his test – toI had a lot of expectations for myself. I felt a lot of pressure around me. I apologize for not being able to do it, I really wanted to. My legs were a little strange, I think it was a lot of emotions in a short time, I tried to give it my all, but I felt like I was missing that bit of grit you have when you're following someone, like yesterday, when Joao tried to outrun me on the climbs. This is still the work I have to do: in a normal individual time trial, we have speed that motivates us and propels us, but uphill, not so much. I felt like I had a few watts less."
«However, we must be happy because we fought until the end against teams that have much higher budgets than ours.. And it's not easy."
An important season
"Second overall, we really didn't think about it. These are important milestones in my career. This week I've surpassed some important limits. It's phenomenal."
And indeed Vauquelin launches himself into another dimension after these performances. The stage victory at the Tour de France in Bologna, the spring successes, the second place at the Vallone Arrow…represent that consistency that makes him a true rider. Not a flash in the pan. We're still talking about a 2001-born rider: he turned 24 in April.
There's been a lot of talk about Vauquelin in France. He's now also considered one of the favorites for the upcoming national title. A source of pride, perhaps to show off at the Tour.
Above all, the podium at Vauquelin in Switzerland has put the spotlight back on Arkéa's financial situation, which – as mentioned – is in troubled waters. This second place, and also the points earned by Raúl García Pierna at Route d'Occitanie and from Cristián Rodríguez to Andorra Morabanca, are of little use.
First, because it's not so much a question of points: in fact, Arkéa has been out of the top 18 of the three-year WorldTour for a year now. Second, because the real problem is economic and is linked to sponsors.
Good, but is that enough?
Already during the Ardennes the team manager Emmanuel Hubert was clear: "I don't know if we'll continue. We need 25 million euros." And it also seems he told the kids that if they find a place to stay next year, they should feel free to accept it. Not a good sign.
This good performance, in short, might not be enough to change the fate of the Breton team.
«We are in a complicated financial situation – said Vauquelin, recalling a lot Verre at the finish line in Sestriere – It's very complicated for Emmanuel Hubert. I hope these results can bring in sponsors and help Emmanuel and the Arkéa-B&B Hotels team. We need them. Staff and riders are doing their best with the few resources we have. If we have to compete with big teams and big budgets, it's very complicated. So I hope this will give some sponsors a bit of an incentive to come: despite the difficulties, we are capable of achieving results."
For now it is known that Arkéa-B&B Hotels does not yet have a roster for 2026 and already has six riders – including Vauquelin himself and, it is rumoured, Luca Mozzato too – have found a new homeWe'll see. But it's certain that if 25 million euros are needed to stay afloat in the WorldTour, those at the helm will have to ask themselves a few questions.
