A budget multiplied by four in five years, to amount to 4 million euros in 2024. This figure gives a good idea of the rise in power of the FDJ-Suez women's cycling team, more ambitious than ever at the dawn of this new season.
The alliance of the two groups dates back to 2022, it being understood that behind this duo, a network of 120 partner companies are also participating in the adventure.
This increase in resources is verified on a daily basis.
Stephen Delcourt, general manager of FDJ-Suez, notes that his team was able to hire a full-time nutritionist.
Likewise, he insists on the quality of the transport tool, with this autonomous bus whose photovoltaic panels give it an autonomy of 27 hours.
Finally and above all, he notes that the team was able to take an additional step in its preparation, with the establishment of collective training courses at altitude.
“This represents a significant financial effort
(around 3% of the team's budget, Editor's note)
but very profitable given our objectives
,” notes Stephen Delcourt.
Specifically, FDJ-Suez wants to continue its momentum: in 2023, the team has recorded twenty victories, after having already totaled 17 in 2022. This year, the horizon looks extremely stimulating for the 16 riders, with in particular the Tour de France women with Zwift and the Olympic Games in the crosshairs.
“If I had to summarize our state of mind, I would say that we want to combine desire, panache and risk-taking
,” comments Flavien Soenen, co-director of performance at FDJ-Suez.
This season, he is no longer alone in taking charge of the performance.
He was joined by Lieselot Decroix, a former runner, responsible with him for
“working on all these small details which will make the difference”
.
The two interested parties, as well as the entire staff, are working on a five-year plan, with nine races particularly targeted to win trophies, including the three major Tours (France, Italy, Spain).
Don't skip steps
At FDJ-Suez, we are showing even more confidence in the future as we are now seeing a real craze around women's cycling, which has gone well beyond fashion.
As proof, the audience for the last Tour de France, the second edition of which was held in 2023 after a long period of absence.
In the same perspective, merchandising is no longer reduced to the bare minimum.
Last season, FDJ-Suez sold 70,000 euros worth of jerseys and other textiles in the team colors, a threshold that would never have been possible just a few years ago.
“Being optimistic does not mean that you have to skip steps,”
continues Stephen Delcourt.
Women's cycling is still based on a fragile model.
»
And to cite the example of the calendar, with race dates likely to vary,
“an unthinkable scenario in men's cycling”.
All those involved in women's cycling are well aware of this: this sport needs increased visibility to continue its development.
It probably starts with more competitive competitions, after the Dutch team SD Works established itself as the cannibal of the peloton.
This is good: FDJ-Suez has the firm intention of playing spoilsport.