Marc Madiot has been the Française des Jeux team manager for quite some years now. In that time he had a few good riders in his team that is sponsored by the French lottery. Quite as often they were taken away by the competition. Riders like Rebellin and Cooke (in his good years) were in his team.


Nowadays Madiot has a nice selection of riders. Not too many superstars with big salaries, more modest talented riders looking for a way to the top. That explains the limited successes for Française des Jeux year after year. They had 3 Pro Tour victories last year. Philippe Gilbert won 2 stages in the Dauphiné and the Eneco Tour. Good old Guesdon won Paris-Tours after a breakaway with two.


The problem with French teams is mostly the lack of capacity with most of the French riders. When they are still young they are not so far behind, but as soon as they become professional they come short. Française des Jeux has foreign riders like time trial specialist Mc Gee, Gilbert for the classics and Lövkvist as a contender for the overall classification. And they have young French riders as Patanchon, who won Paris-Tours (espoirs) in 2005 and also knows his way on the indoor track. As do his young teammates Ladagnous, Gudsell and Delage. Di Grigorio can get a good overall result if he continues to grow; Gérard is an excellent sprinter and a former world champion as a junior.


So the perspective is good but the quality still needs to come out. Madiot has to rely on the maturing Gilbert. This year the Belgian wants to perform in the big races. He will start his season in Paris-Nice and then on to the classics in Flanders. Gilbert won’t start in Gent-Wevelgem this year but he will participate in the Tour of Flanders. In the end his goal is to be in excellent shape in the Tour de France. After that he wants to ride the Vuelta as a preparation on the World championship.


For Lövkvist goes the same as for the Belgian. It’s about time for him to compete with the best in the big races. Bernhard Eisel’s move to T-Mobile is a big loss for Madiot.
Sébastien Chavanel is considered as his replacement but it is doubtful if the Frenchman can do the same as Eisel. Gilbert got a new helper in Marichal (Cofidis). Besides Eisel, also Bichot (Agritubel) and Larsson (Unibet) left the team. Leblacher quit his professional career.
Conclusion: no impressive investments or losses. Madiot rather chooses for young riders.


New:
Sébastien Chavanel (Bouygues Telecom), Thierry Marichal (Cofidis), Mickaël Chérel, Tim Gudsell, Johan Lindgren (neo)


Left:
Freddy Bichot (Agritubel), Bernhard Eisel (T-Mobile), Gustav Erik Larsson (Unibet), Eric Leblacher (stopped)