Arkéa-Samsic Reflects on a Season of Learning in the UCI WorldTour
“There were some good things to come this season, with 10 successes achieved, a sign of continuity with previous seasons, since the team is in the high average in terms of the number of victories it has achieved. These victories were achieved in particular by young riders with strong potential, such as Kévin Vauquelin and Luca Mozzato. Jenthe Biermans and Arnaud Demare, who joined us on August 1, 2023, also showed great promise, scoring twice at the end of the season after only a few weeks with us. As for Clément Champoussin, he’s back on the road to success in 2023, but he can still do much better if he realizes his enormous potential.
We opted for youth this season, for Year 1 in the UCI WorldTour, and our youngsters have learned a lot in the space of a few months. Mathis Le Berre and Ewen Costiou were able to blend into the mold of our team, but above all they were able to show themselves, to be out in front on many occasions, without any complexes. They showed boldness, a characteristic that is, and must remain, our identity. In terms of victories, we’re still missing that Grand Tour win. We came close again this year in both the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France, while in the Vuelta Ciclista a España, where the level of competition was as high as in the Tour de France, Cristián Rodríguez finished 13th overall.
We’ll have to make improvements in 2024, starting with our UCI ranking. We finished 19th this year. The smoothed ranking is established over three seasons, and we still have two more to climb the hierarchy and thus ensure our survival. We’ve also been working on the future, with the creation next year of a continental development team. It will be the crucible for UCI WorldTour training, with a strong project around these young athletes. We’re offering them the chance to continue their studies. The aim is to help them secure a post-career future. The Arkéa-Samsic team, which will become ARKEA-B&B HOTELS in 2024, will thus shine in the professional ranks at UCI WorldTour men’s level, in continental development men’s and women’s, at continental level. I would like to thank Samsic, who will remain with us next year, for their support, while renewing my welcome to B&B HOTELS. The 2023 season is now over, with this year having taught us a great deal. Now it’s time to look ahead to 2024, with a strong desire and a recruitment drive that should enable us to regain a place in the UCI WorldTour in line with our ambitions. Boldness must be our philosophy in all competitions, both in our men’s and women’s structures.
