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 National lottery-funded Team FDJ have just set themselves a
similar goal and the French outfit, who have developed a state of
the art coaching structure, should be given more credit for their
claim than Sky were.
"Yes, we can," a fired up Marc Madiot, the general manager, said in
front of a bemused crowd at the team's electric-blue lit
presentation ceremony in a cabaret-like atmosphere on Wednesday.
"Some 10-15 years ago I would have said it's not possible but now we
can do it in the mid-term," the former Paris-Roubaix winner added.
After all, FDJ helped big prospect Thibaut Pinot claim third place
in last year's Tour at the age of 24.
Pinot's instinctive, aggressive riding and outstanding physical
abilities indeed make him a credible Tour contender even though he
may be a little behind the very best riders, whom he notes "are in
their thirties".
"I hope to improve and be at their level in two or three years,"
added the rider, who claimed the white jersey for the highest
under-25 finisher.
"I still need a bit experience, a bit of power."
His abilities have gradually improved since he jumped into the
limelight by finishing 10th overall on his Tour debut in 2012,
becoming the youngest rider to finish in the top 10 in more than 60
years.
"We need to preserve what has been going well and add little new
things at training," performance director Frederic Grappe told
Reuters.
"He'll have a tailor-made bike for the mountain stages, very light.
He already feels the difference.
"We'll be working on specific exercises this season, such as
acceleration... he needs to be efficient in the mountains, to be
able to respond to attacks.
"We also put an emphasis on his team mates, they need to be
stronger, there's major work needed on that," Grappe added.
To help them improve, FDJ have beefed up their training staff for
2015, with three full-time coaches assisting the riders throughout
the year.
Former professional Sebastien Joly, David Han and Julien Pinot
(Thibaut's older brother) have joined Grappe to form a formidable
outfit unrivalled in France.
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Team Sky have six coaches at their disposal but FDJ, who have been
in the sport since 1997, were in no mood to wait for the British
outfit's arrival to pioneer work on equipment, power or
recuperation, having introduced cryotherapy to cycling.
Even if they have a relatively tight budget of 12 million euros
($13.61 million), about half of Team Sky's estimated outlay, FDJ
remain confident they can mix it with the best.
"We've asked our partners to develop specific equipment material for
our leader," Grappe, a curious mind who spends his time looking for
and detailing new ideas, explained.
With 25 of their 29 riders hailing from France, FDJ will also
benefit from the invaluable experience of Swiss rider Steve
Morabito, who helped Cadel Evans win the Tour de France in 2011.
"He's bringing us a lot of information," Grappe said of Morabito,
who was hand-picked by Pinot himself.
The Tour de France is not the team's only goal this season, however,
as FDJ are also pinning their hopes on French champion Arnaud Demare
and Arthur Vichot to vie for victory in the classic one-day races.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by John O'Brien)
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