Arkéa-B&B Hotels has one big goal in the Tour de France and selects a dangerous eight-man squad for it

“A stage win,” team director Didier Rous revealed immediately in a press release. “We saw the media attention that brought last year,” when Kévin Vauquelin won the second stage in grandiose fashion. “We’ve been in a good sporting dynamic these past weeks, confirmed by Vauquelin’s strong performances in the Tour of Switzerland and the French championships. We need to build on that.”

“We’re aiming for every stage, so we’ll ride this Tour as if each day is a classic,” Rous continued. “We want to perform well during this Tour de France, but it’s also clear that, given the Breton identity of our team, the stages in the west, and especially on our home turf, will be important for the whole squad.”

Vauquelin looks set to be the team leader and is perhaps also their most dangerous contender for a stage victory. “Despite his young age, he will be the driving force behind the team in this Tour. He has already met expectations in this event, and his form in June shows that he is approaching this race in the best physical and mental condition. He can aim for one or even multiple results in this Tour de France,” said Rous.

For the pure climbing work, the French team has Cristián Rodriguez. “He is expected to perform in the mountain stages, a terrain where his climbing abilities can really shine,” Rous explained. “He must also be a pillar of support for his leaders in the hillier stages and for the puncheurs, just as he performed perfectly in the Bologna stage in 2024.” That was when Vauquelin achieved the biggest victory of his career.

With Raúl Garcia-Pierna, the French team has another Spaniard at the start. “He will be a free agent with carte blanche in the stages suited to adventurers, so he will be able to join the breakaways. As a versatile rider and strong rouleur, Raúl can and must make his mark in this Tour. We also expect him to be a pillar of support for Arnaud Démare in the sprints.”

Démare will thus be making his seventh Tour appearance. The French sprinter has won two stages, although the last was seven years ago. “We chose to bring Arnaud to this Tour de France because he has proven in recent races that he can deliver good sprints even with a limited lead-out. He recently showed in Copenhagen that he is in good condition and has regained his sprint instincts. Now it’s up to him to confirm this in the Tour,” said Rous.

Alongside Démare, the team also has another fast man at the start with Amaury Capiot. “He had a difficult start to the season, but in recent weeks he’s completely back,” said Rous. “He is an important element in the team and his qualities are versatile, whether it’s working for Démare in the sprint finishes or helping Vauquelin by positioning him perfectly in the peloton in different race situations. He can also stand out in a tough stage with his explosive speed.”

The team is rounded out by French riders, including the young Ewen Costiou. “He is riding the second grand tour of his career, after the Giro in 2024, but this will be his first time on Tour roads. He already knows the energy demands of a three-week race, but not yet those of the Tour. So he will be learning, but that doesn’t mean he should limit himself to just that role. He will undoubtedly seize opportunities. His strength lies in his youth and the freshness he will have physically when leaving Lille, it’s up to him to use that wisely over the three weeks.”

Mathis Le Berre and Clément Venturini are the final two riders in the Arkéa-B&B Hotels lineup. “Le Berre is a solid, valuable, and reliable teammate. He’s being thrown in at the deep end in the Tour, but we already know he’s ready for the missions he will be given. He will have opportunities to join breakaways. The finishes for puncheurs are Venturini’s domain. That’s where we expect him, when the pure sprinters have been dropped from the peloton. He will also work for the team, especially Arnaud and Kévin, when needed,” Rous concluded.

Kévin Vauquelin