Clément Venturini has been a fixture of French cycling for more than a decade – a rider who wins national titles in the mud, sweeps up French Cup podiums, and delivers consistent results season after season. Yet the 32-year-old now finds himself in the most precarious moment of his career, heading into winter without a contract for 2026.
Speaking to Le Télégramme, the Arkéa-B&B Hotels leader admitted he is struggling to comprehend how he has reached mid-November with no team for next season.
“I’m consistent, professional and always meet expectations. I have 700 UCI points… and still nothing,” he told the newspaper. “Every day, people tell me it’s not normal that I don’t have a team. Yet here we are.”
A shrinking market leaves little room to manoeuvre
Venturini’s situation is unfolding in a transfer market that has been turned upside down. The collapse of Arkéa-B&B Hotels and the Lotto–Intermarché merger have tightened budgets and crowded rosters, leaving experienced riders like Venturini fighting for fewer places.
He has held discussions with several teams, but none have resulted in an offer.
“I’ve heard every possible reason,” he said. “That they already have riders like me, that they want to rejuvenate the squad, that there’s no budget. I’m not asking for the moon.”
With most squads close to full, he knows the next eight weeks could define the remainder of his career.
“I don’t want it all to end in 2026,” he said. “I’m still motivated, but I also don’t want to continue under any conditions.”
Emotional strain as uncertainty drags on
Venturini, who typically signs his contracts early – sometimes as early as May – admits that the prolonged silence has taken a mental toll.
“It’s a struggle,” he told Le Télégramme. “I never thought I’d experience anything like this in my career. The latest I’ve ever signed was June. Now it’s mid-November…”
He draws stability from his family, including his nine-month-old child, and has returned to training largely as a way to stay grounded.
“I’m doing sport every day to clear my head and stay healthy, physically and mentally. But it’s not easy.”
Cyclo-cross season on hold
In any normal year, Venturini would already be deep into his cyclo-cross campaign. Instead, the discipline has become a secondary concern until he knows whether he will remain in the professional ranks.
“My mind just isn’t on cyclo-cross at all,” he said. “The first thing is to know my future. Without a professional contract, I don’t know if I’d even be fit enough to do it.”
Asked whether he would chase an eighth French elite title in Troyes if still unsigned, he was frank: “I don’t think so. Very little chance.”
A career built on dependability now hangs in the balance
Venturini’s résumé is formidable. He is a seven-time French cyclo-cross champion, a former winner of the Four Days of Dunkirk, a regular contender in the French Cup and a two-time Tour de France finisher. In 2025, his consistency across the season earned him the overall French Cup title.
Yet reliability alone may not be enough in a year where finances and structural upheaval have reshaped the transfer market.
For now, Venturini waits, hopeful that a team still values experience, versatility and the sort of professionalism he has built his career upon.
“I’m disappointed above all,” he said. “It would be a shame if it ended like this.”
