A long chapter in the history of the French WorldTour team currently known as Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale will come to a close at the end of 2025, as sports retailer Decathlon formally takes over full ownership from AG2R La Mondiale. The shift was confirmed on Monday morning during the second week of the Tour de France, with the team setting out bold ambitions: to become one of the top three squads in the world by 2028.
The new structure will see Decathlon move from co-title sponsor to outright owner of the France Cyclisme organisation, with a significant budget increase to an estimated €40 million. The French insurance company AG2R La Mondiale, a staple name in the peloton since 1997, will step aside from team ownership but remain a sponsor until the end of 2025.
AG2R’s three-decade-long presence helped shape the team’s identity and brought through riders like Jean-Christophe Péraud, Romain Bardet, and Ben O’Connor. The shift in direction will signal the end of an era, but also the beginning of one that Decathlon insists will be transformative.
A clear plan for growth
“This change is more than structural,” said Céline Del Genes, Decathlon’s global chief customer officer. “It reflects our long-term strategic intention to deepen our involvement in the sport at the highest level. We want to shape the future of the sport, not just sponsor its present.”
That vision includes turning the current team into a genuine WorldTour powerhouse, and with 16 victories and 46 podiums already in 2025, the groundwork is being laid. The Van Rysel bike brand, owned by Decathlon and now used by the team, is central to the brand’s wider strategy to associate its name with top-tier performance and innovation.
Paul Seixas, the 18-year-old French climber who stunned with eighth place at the Critérium du Dauphiné, is one of the riders seen as central to that plan. While many teams are looking for their next generation leader, Decathlon has already begun backing homegrown talent and is expected to further expand its roster with longer-term signings.
From legacy to transition
AG2R La Mondiale first sponsored the team in 1997, became title sponsor in 2000, and took full ownership in 2022. During that time, the team won multiple Tour stages, delivered two Tour de France top-10s with Bardet, and finished second overall in 2014 with Péraud.
“It is with profound emotion… that we transfer the ownership of our cycling team to Decathlon,” said Fabrice Heyriès, managing director of AG2R La Mondiale. “Over the past two years, we have been able to gauge Decathlon’s commitment, expertise and ability to be more than just a sponsor.”
Both parties stressed that the next 18 months would be a phase of collaborative transition. Dominique Serieys, CEO of France Cyclisme, said the handover was “fully anticipated” and would be structured to maintain continuity in leadership, staffing, and sporting objectives.
Towards 2028
Decathlon’s aim is not to simply maintain status quo. The target of a top-three UCI World Ranking position by 2028 underlines the scale of their investment and ambition. With INEOS Grenadiers and Soudal Quick-Step undergoing changes, and several WorldTour licences up for renewal by the end of the decade, the timing of Decathlon’s full entry into team ownership appears strategic.
Backed by one of the world’s largest sports retailers and a growing bike brand, the French team is aiming to close the gap to the traditional super-teams. The real test will come not in their budgets, but in their ability to attract and develop the riders to match those ambitions.
