Assessing his team’s performance so far in 2025, Madiot acknowledged that the early months of the season are about building momentum.
He said “It’s the start-up, there are riders who have not yet raced very much. So we are getting into position and we are going to focus on the events that are coming up from next weekend, with the opening in Belgium, plus the Drôme-Ardèche, and then Italy which will arrive very quickly with the Strade, Tirreno and Paris-Nice.
“So all this means that the month of February has been quite full, with a lot of races that have followed one after the other.
“And we have not necessarily raced too much, nor raced much for some of our riders. So we were in the phase of getting into orbit, if I may say so.”
He went on to share the importance of securing an early-season win, noting the psychological benefits of getting off the mark so quickly.
Madiot said “You always have to win quickly at the start of the season, the first one is important. Psychologically, it opens the results counter for the team.
“And we know today with the importance of social networks that we are quickly categorized as the team that has not won. ‘It’s been 300 or 400 days or 300 days since we won.
“They haven’t won since such and such a date. The other teams have won…’ There is always such and such a team that has not yet won a game.
“So we know that there is a significant psychological aspect to the opening score. And for me, the opening score is always something important.”
Madiot went on to highlight that he is happy with how his team performs season after another.
He said “Season after season, I like it when we win quickly enough to be at peace on that side. And then, we had a good run with David. Unfortunately, he crashed.
“He couldn’t defend his chances in last weekend’s events. Now, that’s part of the hazards. I hope we’ll see him back in competition very soon.
“And then, there’s also a great comeback for Romain Grégoire who performed particularly well yesterday in the time trial in Algarve.
“So I’m also hoping for great things this weekend in Belgium and Drôme-Ardèche. So that’s it, the team is on its way. And now, we have to put results and victories into practice.”
Madiot praised Grégoire’s development and sees him reaching new heights.
He said “I think Romain has reached a new level psychologically and physically. We feel that he has reached a new level. So the idea is to make it happen and continue to seek the great and beautiful results that we hope for him.”
Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet, is expected to bring strength to Groupama-FDJ, particularly in longer and more demanding races.
Madiot said “He should have been with David Gaudu this weekend. We feel that he will bring something more to Groupama-FDJ this year. He is a long-distance runner.
“We know that with him, on long and difficult races, and complicated stage sequences, he can express himself and compete with the best. I hope that it will go well and that he will string together some great and good performances in the coming weeks.”
Madiot become realistic about the competition his team faces, particularly given the presence of Pogačar in the one-day races.
He said “To be able to win, you already have to be consistent and be regular in your level of performance.
“So I expect a good level of performance and a good average level over all of these races with all of our riders who will be doing the Flemish campaign.
“And then afterwards, we know that victory will be difficult to get because when we see the Pogacars who are registering for the Flemish races, it increases the difficulty.
“We know that there is a very high level of performance among some riders, but we can exist and I hope that we will be operational to be regularly in the match with the greatest.”
Madiot went to highlight that he is not worried about other opposition players but he is fully focused on his team.
He said “I don’t think anything, nothing at all. This is not my subject. My subject is my riders. I take care of mine to make sure they are at the start of the races.
“Afterwards, the participation of some or others in the upcoming races is not my responsibility. I look at the list of starters the day before the event and then we deal with it.”
Asked whether he was more impressed by Pogacar or Vingegaard’s early-season performances.
Madiot said “No, not particularly. They are where we expected them to be, where we assumed they would be.”
Madiot also addressed the controversy surrounding Stage 1 of the Volta ao Algarve, where most of the peloton took a wrong turn, leading to the stage classification being annulled.
He said “I can answer you already on Algarve. I can answer you on Algarve. I’m sorry, but the riders, in the hours before the start of the race, have access to the roadbook, distributed by the sports directors.
“For many riders, there was even a reconnaissance of the finish, carried out in training the day before.
“For those who had not done it, it was the same finish as in previous years. So, if you add to that the viewing of the finish sites in video with the riders during the briefings in all the teams, we are supposed to think that the riders are not taking the wrong route.”
He was critical of the decision to annul the results and argued that those who followed the correct course should have been awarded their positions.
Madiot said “These riders did the right course, had the right feeling about how the race was going, so I don’t understand why we didn’t keep this ranking, even if it was made easier by the fact that a large part of the peloton made a mistake.
“But if there had only been two or three riders who had made a mistake, we would have kept the ranking.
“So I don’t really understand what happened at the commissaires’ level, because once again, the riders are supposed to know the course. And there are people who did the right course.
“There were no particular difficulties in the final part of the race, so I have trouble understanding why the results of the race were cancelled.
“It doesn’t make sense. Several of us asked ourselves the question and I think it’s legitimate, because indeed… It depends.
“The problem is that we have a variable geometry application of the regulations. And it’s still a bit of a shame.”
BY LUCKY SEANEGO
