Groupama-FDJ will be present on the Grands Tours from August - Thibault Camus / AP / SIPA

A solo walk in early May, Franck Pineau had long since done it. At this time of the year and for 20 years, we normally find it in the cars of the Groupama-FDJ, criss-crossing the roads of the World Tour behind the peloton. Lack of pot, 2020 had home projects for humanity and it was necessary to review its copy. The sports director knew how to put up with it. He even retains something positive. "With my wife, we now know that we will not hit each other when I retire," he jokes. Despite all the optimism in the world, the fact remains that the time without cycling begins to be long. For Pineau and for runners. “They are thoroughbreds, to hold them on home trainers is not easy. We are in contact with them every week, we have all the guys. We even got them more than usual, because times are tough. "

Fortunately - let us remain cautious - it seems that we can see the light at the end of this endless tunnel. Deconfinement and therefore individual bike trips from May 11, possibly in groups from June and a new goal since Tuesday afternoon: to be ready for the resumption of the season on August 1, as planned by the World Tour calendar revisited by the UCI, a kind of mille-feuille of bicycle: a layer of Giro on a bed of Vuelta and a coating of classics, hello bulimia. Not enough to scare the DS of Groupama-FDJ who sees this as a new challenge.

Together with the representatives from the professional peloton, I'm proud that we have united to deliver viable UCI WT and @UCI_WWT calendars, starting from Aug 1st.

We will continue to closely monitor the global health situation. More info https://t.co/go0LxekwMb pic.twitter.com/eBQmk2hJfQ

- David Lappartient (@DLappartient) May 5, 2020

What to think of this highly condensed World Tour calendar?

We are happy that it is resuming, we could not have had a Tour de France or the end of the season. Economically in our business it would have been a disaster. We must therefore rejoice above all. Regarding the calendar, we will adapt. Besides, we have already started to adapt, like all French people: we have confined ourselves, we have tried to save what was salvable. The guys were able to train and train, from the 11th they can get out.

How do you see this sequel and end of season for your team?

We will do the big tours, it's an obligation. And the French calendar, we have to do it. It would be super-unwelcome on our part not to do French shopping, out of patriotism, and also because our manager [Marc Madiot] is president of the National Cycling League. We will have to make choices, but we have always worked on two or three fronts, we know how to do it. Renowned races like Paris-Roubaix, great monuments too, all that, we will be there.

Isn't that going to be a problem, this rapprochement over time? If only to dispatch your runners on different fronts…

We have 28 runners and we are lucky to have a continental team. We have a reservoir of 28 runners + 12, it has taken many years to set it up, we will be able to use it. We are a bit ahead of other teams by lining up these continental runners, but basically I think this calendar is manageable for all teams. Normally we already make choices. We must not forget that lining up for a race means sending runners but also staff, staff, vehicles. Being on three fronts means having 80 employees, it's not easy. So we are already prepared.

The UCI unveils a revisited calendar where Giro and Vuelta are walking on it via @ 20minutesSport https://t.co/tdxevkwRT1

- 20 Minutes Sport (@ 20minutesSport) May 5, 2020

There are still unusual choices that are looming. Giro or Vuelta? Giro or classics, etc.

Of course. There are riders who will do the Giro and who will not be able to do Paris-Roubaix, it will not be easy to decide. But the most important thing is to keep our runners healthy. And at the end of the day, the season is going to be a little bit different. If we finish the calendar in mid-November with the Vuelta, it does not mean that we go on an internship in mid-December as we are used to. However we will plunge again in January in the next season with Australia, etc.

Let's come back to the choices. Will we have to decide between Tour and Mondials, too?

Once again, this is where you will have to be a strategist and know where to set foot. We can be very good on the Tour and at the Worlds. Thomas Voeckler is not going to wait for the Champs to make his selection anyway. If you prepare to compete in the Worlds, even by doing the Tour, you can perform there. The high level is very psychological, you have to be able to have a long-term vision to be ready. Finally, it's like saying that we were going to dive in a Tour over four weeks instead of three. You should know that if you leave the Tour without being sick, you can be stronger than those who have not. If we take the guys who run in San Sebastian in normal times, it's guys who did the Tour and sometimes even who performed on the Tour. Between the Tour and the Worlds, the riders will simply have to manage themselves, remain active with rest, naps and small outings, without a high intensity outing.

For the classics, however, it is more complicated. Are we heading to the Ardennes and Flandrians at a discount?

It's possible that the classics are on the cheap, but it's not certain either. There will be a race and a result, which, given the context, is already a lesser evil. Perhaps the races will not be done with the runners that we hoped to see but precisely, it will be interesting, we will perhaps see other runners illustrate themselves. Maybe that will motivate some to see that big customers will not be there. You have to be able to adapt in order to use it all again in the following years. Obviously, it would have been better if there was no Covid, let's get on well with that. But this calendar will allow us to see who will adapt. It is a challenge in itself.

Sport

The UCI unveils its revisited calendar… Telescoping between Giro, Vuelta and classics in sight

  • Deconfinement
  • Sport
  • Cycling
  • UCI
  • Fdj
  • Cycling