Decathlon AG2R with Bennett and a team full of attackers, but no spot for young climber Staune-Mittet
Cycling
Follow IDL Pro Cycling on Google
Stay up to date with the best cycling news by making us a preferred source on Google.
Follow us on GoogleAlmost every team has now announced which eight riders they’ll be sending to Albania for the Giro d’Italia. Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale was one of the last to do so. Sam Bennett will lead the French squad and hopes for sprint success, but the team is also aiming for stage wins with a strong group of attackers and an aggressive racing style. Several familiar Giro names are set to go on the offensive in Italy. Notably, young climber Johannes Staune-Mittet did not make the cut.
ADVERTISEMENT
Sprinter Bennett is no stranger to the Giro either. He’s raced it twice, with his most recent appearance in 2018, when the now 34-year-old Irishman had a highly successful run, taking three stage wins. It’s been seven years since then, but he’s had a solid 2025 so far, with two stage wins in both the Tour de la Provence and the Pays de la Loire Tour. He’ll be supported in the sprints by Norwegian Tord Gudmestad, who has frequently served as his go-to lead-out man.
Geoffrey Bouchard and Andrea Vendrame also have fond memories of the Giro. The Frenchman won the mountains classification in 2021, while the Italian has already claimed two stage wins, one in 2021 and another just last year, in a tough stage 19. Both riders will be given every opportunity to go on the attack in search of more stage glory.
Read more below the photo!
Johannes Staune-Mittet will not start in the Giro for Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale
No Staune-Mittet in Giro selection
The other riders selected include Dorian Godon, Dries De Bondt, Stan Dewulf, and Nicolas Prodhomme. It’s a well-balanced squad, with Belgians Dewulf and De Bondt also able to support sprinter Bennett. Godon performs well on rolling terrain and has a decent sprint, while Prodhomme - who recently won a stage at the Tour of the Alps - will be targeting stage victories in the mountains.
Surprisingly, there is no spot for Johannes Staune-Mittet in the lineup. The 23-year-old Norwegian joined the team this winter from Visma | Lease a Bike and is regarded as a major grand tour prospect. His season has been somewhat sluggish so far, but he showed signs of progress at the Tour de Romandie, where he finished 12th overall. However, that wasn’t enough to convince team management that he deserved a place in the Giro squad, he won’t be traveling to Albania.
Read also
Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
IDL-productions
Celia Gery won the European cyclocross championship while awaiting surgery: 'It'll be a new beginning'
Dutch team coach De Knegt annoyed by European Cyclocross Championships dispute: "A bit of a let down"
Glasgow set to shine as World Cup demand outstrips expectations and Mason eyes first home cyclocross race
Pogačar, Vingegaard and Van Aert went faster again in 2026... except when they didn't
Team GB dominate, China on the rise, Lavreysen the best ever? Five takeaways from the 2026 Track World Championships
Latest Cycling News
Eddie Dunbar wins Vuelta stage as Pinarello-Q36.5 put three riders in top five and Roglič attacks
Tom Pidcock ends 2026 fifth in the world, with Ciccone and Hayter arriving at Pinarello for 2027
Picnic PostNL's WorldTour uncertainty has five rival teams, and Tom Pidcock, watching the UCI closely
Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado's injury isn't as bad as feared, but she may not line up for a while
TotalEnergies rescued from collapse, but rider recruitment remains a problem before 27th Tour de France appearance
Popular Cycling News
Sven Nys spoke with Lucinda Brand straight after European Championship drama: 'Is that enough to ultimately relegate someone'
Fears of serious injury to Alvarado, bronze medalist, after the European Cyclocross Championships
Disqualified Schreiber skips European Championship podium: 'I’m very grateful that she said that'
Picnic PostNL's WorldTour uncertainty has five rival teams, and Tom Pidcock, watching the UCI closely
Eddie Dunbar wins Vuelta stage as Pinarello-Q36.5 put three riders in top five and Roglič attacks
Latest Comments
- Eight riders told to go for stages, and nobody gets one—hard to know what the plan was there. It’ll be interesting to see whether they pick a clear leader next time.bikebuffj10-11-2026
- Was Bernal’s 20th place really their best GC result? I thought he might have finished higher. Either way, it sounds like a rough Tour for the whole team.gearguru3310-11-2026
- Five days in breaks with no stage win is a painful stat. The team had chances, but they need to turn those opportunities into results.julien10-11-2026
- The Onley Vuelta example makes sense: a team with someone to rally around often looks much more cohesive. Hopefully INEOS can build on that rather than expecting a quick return to the Sky years.cadencekingm10-11-2026
- Thomas is right about the ambiguity. Eight riders all chasing stages can end up pulling in different directions, even if nobody’s deliberately working against anyone. They need a clearer plan once the GC leaders are out.robert6510-11-2026
- What a mess. The report makes it sound as though nobody properly explained the decision, and that’s hard to defend.jennifer1910-11-2026
- I’m still learning the rules: does moving left in a sprint automatically bring a penalty, or does it depend on whether the other rider is blocked? It sounds like Brand wasn’t impeded here.patriciaw10-11-2026
- A final decision still needs a proper explanation. If the federation’s complaint goes nowhere, I hope the officials at least review how they handled the riders afterwards.michael5410-11-2026
- Fair play to Lucinda for saying Marie had won fair and square. That kind of sportsmanship matters, especially after such a controversial decision.raceready710-11-2026
- Schreiber beat Brand on the road, so the jury needed to explain clearly why that slight deviation warranted relegation. Being cut off before she could give her account sounds appalling.lindae10-11-2026