Armirail had to find a new team, but luckily Visma | LaB came knocking: "Makes you realize you’re worth something"

Asked how the move came about, Armirail sounded a bit mysterious. “I got the chance to join this great team. At first, I thought I would stay with my current team, but then… things happened, I don’t really know how to put it,” the Frenchman said hesitantly to L’Équipe.

In any case, he concluded that finding another team was necessary. “It would’ve been a shame if my career had ended abruptly, so I’m very happy to be back on track and to make progress at Visma.”

And indeed, the team came to him. “It’s always nice when a big team contacts you. It’s great, it’s motivating. It makes you realize you’re worth something. I’m going to race to win grand tours, in a teammate role that I really enjoy.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Armirail continued. “They’re more advanced in nutrition and technology than the French teams. They’ve already taken measurements for the outfits, whereas we usually only do that at training camps in November or December. It’s more detailed in those kinds of small things.”

At 31, even retirement was an option. “You have to find contracts; that’s not easy. I don’t have an agent, so I handle everything myself, and I know it can all end at any moment given the current situation,” the Frenchman said, referring to the difficult position riders often find themselves in when their contracts expire.

Many riders are currently in limbo, due to the possible merger between Lotto and Intermarché and the financial struggles at Arkéa-B&B Hotels. “That could push a lot of riders out of the peloton. A career can end very quickly. I’m glad I’ve found a new place, at one of the best teams in the world.”

Armirail doesn’t feel particularly bitter about not getting a contract extension at Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale. “Yes and no. No, because I’m signing with the best team in the world. I’ll go even further and discover new things, even though I already made a lot of progress with Decathlon. I’m grateful for what we achieved together.”

“I don’t hold it against them; they made their choices, we all saw their recruitment, and that’s understandable,” the Frenchman added. “There weren’t many explanations, but that’s life and I haven’t ruled out returning in two years, either to Decathlon or to Groupama-FDJ,” Armirail concluded, leaving the door open for a comeback to one of his former teams.