AG2R Citroën, the prominent French WorldTour cycling team, is reportedly set to partner with Van Rysel, Decathlon’s high-performance road brand, for the 2024 season. This change marks the end of a three-year collaboration with Swiss bike manufacturer BMC, with whom the team had been associated since 2021, transitioning from Eddy Merckx bikes.
During their partnership with BMC, AG2R Citroën celebrated significant achievements, including 32 wins and 106 podium finishes. These accomplishments featured stage victories at prestigious events such as the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, and Vuelta a España, the most recent being Felix Gall’s triumph at this year’s Tour. BMC, which previously supplied teams like Qhubeka and Phonak and operated their own BMC team from 2007 to 2018, will no longer have a presence in the WorldTour in 2024. However, they will continue their involvement in professional cycling, as ProTeam Tudor Pro Cycling will race on BMC bikes, following an extended six-year agreement earlier this year.
Vincent Lavenu, AG2R Citroën’s general manager, expressed gratitude towards BMC for their support over the past three years, praising the high level of the bikes and the satisfaction they provided to both riders and technicians. “We were very proud to ride for this prestigious, world-renowned brand,” Lavenu stated, acknowledging the significant role BMC played in the team’s recent successes.
The expected new partnership with Van Rysel, a brand launched by Decathlon in 2018, was first reported by French newspaper Ouest France in April. While Van Rysel currently provides Cofidis with casual and cycling wear, the brand is eager to re-enter the WorldTour, with its boss Nicolas Pierron earlier expressing a desire to return to this elite level in 2023. Decathlon has previously supplied bikes to top-tier teams, including AG2R and Cofidis, marking a return to familiar territory with this new association.
The cycling world is witnessing several changes in team-bike partnerships for the 2024 season. Besides AG2R Citroën’s expected switch to Van Rysel, Lotto-Dstny is set to move from Ridley to Orbea, while Groupama-FDJ will conclude their 22-year-long relationship with Lapierre.
