It was a breath of fresh air that blew on Friday during the presentation of the squad to the racing department of the French formation in Villepinte, in Seine-Saint-Denis.
Of course, the owners were there: Thibaut Pinot, the popular icon who will return to the Giro next year.
Arnaud Démare, the sprinter who will aim for 100 pro victories and should participate in the Tour de France.
David Gaudu, 4th in the last Grande Boucle and who will still be the leader there in 2023. Valentin Madouas, 3rd in the Tour of Flanders.
Or Stefan Küng, another great hunter of classics and vice-world champion in the time trial.
This seasoned squadron will leave in 2023 with a lot of ambitions and a new predominantly midnight blue tunic which strangely resembles the PSG jersey.
"The symbol of renewal," says Démare.
French cyclist David Gaudu during the presentation of the Groupama-FDJ team on December 9, 2022 in Villepinte © Geoffroy VAN DER HASSELT / AFP
Because, indeed, the leaders will not ride alone in 2023 but escorted by a cloud of young bees from the "Conti".
Groupama-FDJ is the only French structure to operate with a World Tour team, the first division of cycling, and a continental team, the third level.
A sort of training center from which two or three riders are supposed to emerge each year to join the elite.
This year, there will be no less than eight young people to climb the ladder at the end of an exceptional 2022 vintage.
"There is work"
“When I went to see them in February, I told them: if you are good, there will be room for everyone. We knew that we had talented riders in this squad. do as well every year. But here, the eight deserve it, "insists manager Marc Madiot.
French rider Thibaut Pinot of the Groupama-FDJ team during the presentation of the 2023 season of his Groupama-FDJ team, on December 9, 2022 in Villepinte (near Paris) © Geoffroy VAN DER HASSELT / AFP
In the gang is obviously Romain Grégoire, 19, winner of Liège-Bastogne-Liège espoirs, who has been fueling the fantasies of French cycling for many years.
"For the moment, I want to discover as many races as possible and go to all terrains to gain experience. The adventure begins, everything remains to be written", says the Bisontin.
He knows that the difference in level is enormous and that "there is work to do this winter".
But ambition is already touching: “I also want to raise my arms”.
The other nugget is Lenny Martinez, the same age, who has the profile of a pure climber.
The son of Olympic mountain bike champion Miguel Martinez, with a mosquito build, finished third in the "Baby Giro" this year and became the first French winner of the Tour du Val d'Aosta since... Thibaut Pinot in 2009.
Young people on the Vuelta
He too is there first to learn.
He too is not complex: "we are preparing to take slaps. But if I can get a result, I will not deprive myself of it."
French rider Romain Gregoire during the presentation of the 2023 season of the Groupama-FDJ team, in Villepinte (near Paris), December 9, 2022 © Geoffroy VAN DER HASSELT / AFP
Marc Madiot relishes.
“Gradually we arrive at the team as I dreamed of it twenty years ago”, underlines the manager who says he wants to “follow the same approach as FC Nantes, AJ Auxerre or Ajax Amsterdam in football ", with "an identity and a style which are part of the duration and mark their time".
To go "to the end of this idea", he decided to compete in the Tour of Spain at the end of August with the young people of "Conti" as a "general framework", supervised "by a few teachers".
Matthieu Ladagnous, 38 on December 12 and attacking his last season, could be such a road captain.
"I get along very well with them. They are very attentive, even if they are already very strong," he says.
The arrival of all these young people is in fact part of an increasingly precocious cycling where Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel were 21 and 22 years old when they won their first Grand Tour.
"These are quite phenomenal all the same. But why not have a day like them?" Lenny Martinez slips into a smile.
© 2022 AFP