With Küng's departure, pressure intensifies on Groupama-FDJ for 2026, which appears to be changing course

From 2021 onwards, the team had been in a downward trend in terms of victories, but this year the French team won 15 times, just like the year before. It did so mainly in stage races, although it also scored in one-day races —four times in total, four in its own country.

Romain Grégoire kicked off his top year with a victory in the Faun-Ardèche Classic. Guillaume Martin won the Classic Grand Besançon Doubs and the Tour du Jura on the same weekend in April, after which Lewis Askey added the Boucles de l'Aulne to his list of victories in May. That's four victories in one-day races, which is still pretty poor.

In the classic spring season, the French team mainly relied on Stefan Küng, who once again failed to secure a significant victory. With sixth place in the E3 Saxo Classic, ninth place in Dwars door Vlaanderen, and sixth place in De Ronde, the Swiss rider performed well, but there were no major successes. Grégoire finished seventh in the Amstel Gold Race and the Flèche Wallonne, but he too failed to produce any significant results (in the one-day races!).

There were plenty of opportunities for Groupama-FDJ in the Grand Tours. David Gaudu snatched the biggest one, surprising the cycling world with an incredible stage victory in stage three of the Vuelta. A day later, the climber even took the red jersey. His victory would be the French team's second and last victory of the year at WorldTour level, as Grégoire had won the opening stage of the Tour de Suisse in fine style in June.

It was Grégoire who actually saved the day for Groupama-FDJ. The talented rider won a stage and the overall classification of the Tour of Britain in the fall, followed by two stage victories in the Tour of Luxembourg. It was a top year for the young Frenchman, who was also able to double his total number of victories from six to twelve in 2025.

Furthermore, it was Gaudu who won a stage in the Tour of Oman in the spring, Askey won the second stage of the Four Days of Dunkirk, the young Thibaud Gruel triumphed in the prologue of the Boucles de la Mayenne, the same Gruel won stage four of La Route d'Occitanie, and Tom Donnenwirth completed a Groupama party with a victory in the opening stage of the Tour de l'Ain.

The team performed well in stage races, but they will need to step up their game in the general classifications of the Grand Tours. Martin finished sixteenth in the Tour, more than an hour behind overall winner Tadej Pogacar. Gaudu, in turn, had a disappointing Giro, but then pulled off a stunt in the Vuelta in the fall. However, a good classification did not materialize in Spain either.

A big breakthrough in Spain, a consistently impressive Grégoire, but, just like in 2024, 15 victories, a poor spring, and, this time, also the absence of a classification in a Grand Tour: the somewhat critical (former) editors of IDLProCycling.com therefore give them a 5.3.

This winter, the French team is again replacing about seven riders. This is part of a pattern: last winter, seven newcomers joined the team; a year earlier, eight; and the year before that, seven. Apart from outgoing transfers, the team will, of course, also have to cope with Lars van den Berg's forced retirement.

This year, the newcomers (so far) include French riders Clément Berthet, Bastien Tronchon (both Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), and Ewen Costiou (Arkéa-B&B Hotels). Super talent Maxime Decomble is being transferred from the development team, while the team is also continuing to build for the future with young Matteo Milan – yes, the brother of – and the slightly older Josh Kench. So, lots of young riders suggest the team is thinking beyond 2026.

Although Küng is leaving the team through the front door, the back door is also open at Groupama-FDJ. After seven years and no fewer than 22 victories, the Swiss rider has opted for a new adventure with Tudor. Askey (Israel-Premier Tech) and Sven Erik Bystrøm (Uno-X) have already been announced at other teams, while the future of Clément Davy, Eddy Le Houitouze, and Matthew Walls remains unclear.

(Provisional) incoming: Clément Berthet, Bastien Tronchon (both Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), Ewen Costiou (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Maxime Decomble (training team Groupama-FDJ), Matteo Milan (Lidl-Trek Future Racing) and Josh Kench (Li Ning Star)

(Provisional) outgoing: Stefan Küng (Tudor), Lewis Askey (Israel-Premier Tech), Sven Erik Bystrøm (Uno-X) and Lars van den Berg (quits)

France has high expectations for Decomble's debut year among the pros. The 20-year-old rider was eliminated from the yellow jersey in the final climb time trial of the Tour de l'Avenir, but impressed throughout the year in the U23 circuit. In his first races for the senior team, he also finished third in the time trial of O Gran Camiño. An excellent time-trialist and a strong engine on the climbs make him one of France's most talented riders.

For Grégoire, the main thing will be to continue his excellent form from 2025. The 22-year-old rider from Besançon has already won twelve times in his career and is considered one of the most dangerous puncheurs in the peloton. We also expect a lot from Tronchon, who is one year older and won the Tro-Bro Léon this year.

Don't be surprised if Thibaud Gruel becomes the big revelation in the world of sprinters in 2026. The 21-year-old Frenchman has won twice this year, sprinting to a top-10 finish no fewer than twelve times, including several WorldTour races. And finally, can Costiou rediscover his excellent 2024 form in a new team? That's another one to keep an eye on.