“There are many factors that made me take this decision”: Stéphane Goubert explains the reasons for his departure from Decathlon-AG2R

Stéphane Goubert, ici sur l'Etoile de Bessèges en 2023, ne sera plus directeur sportif de Decathlon-AG2R en 2025. MIDI LIBRE – ka shabut katya

After twenty years at AG2R as a rider and then as sports director, Stéphane Goubert signed with Groupama-FDJ on Tuesday, January 7. The Montpellier native explains this decision.

How did the adventure with AG2R end ?

Very well. I thank Decathlon and Dominique Serieys for allowing me to say goodbye to the team and for letting me make my own decision. It's never easy. It's my decision. There was a great project.

I had another one for me, I wanted to challenge myself, to discover new working methods, a new environment. And the Groupama-FDJ opportunity presented itself. It matched well with the vision I had and the way I projected myself for the future. Everything coordinated well.

Everything went pretty quickly, right ?

Groupama-FDJ gave me time to really do things well. I didn't have to return on January 1st. But they welcomed me pretty quickly. I'm discovering a new way of working. Even though I know everyone, these are people I don't know through work.

I had been in my old team for 20 years. I experienced all the phases and all the areas. I felt like I was at a turning point in my life. That's personal.

Was Vincent Lavenu's departure last year a determining factor in your decision??

No, it's a long process. There are many elements, small details that made me make this decision. That's part of it. But it's not just that. Society is changing. The teams, too.

Given Decathlon-AG2R's season, your success in the Giro and the Vuelta, we could have thought that you were happy in this team.

I was happy, there's no problem. Decathlon-AG2R has a good project. But maybe the fact of having experienced strong emotions in 2024 made me want to start again with other goals. What awaits me is very exciting.

Did you have other opportunities than Groupama-FDJ ?

No, I didn't look for others either. There isn't much rotation among sports directors. It's not like in other sports where it's a daily occurrence, like in football or, to a lesser extent, rugby. In cycling, it doesn't change because there are six or seven sports directors per team. There is no monotonous speech, from a single coach, from the same person.

There, there is a turnover, it is not the same speech, there is no weariness in the message at the level of the riders.

Giro and Tour de France on the menu

How Groupama-FDJ presented itself to you ?

Messages from someone at one point made me say that there might be a possibility at Groupama. Then the opportunity presented itself. I wanted to challenge myself, renew myself, start from scratch.

Do you already have your feedback sheet for the season ?

Yes. It's clear that it will be focused, without going into detail, on the Giro and the Tour de France. Afterwards, there will be quite a few objectives with the climbers. I wasn't asking for anything, I'm pleasantly surprised. If the Giro and the Tour weren't on the program, there would have been zero problems. There are quality guys in this team, I owe them respect. I'm here to bring my experience and expertise, but also to receive it from my colleagues. It's an exchange.

When will you make your competitive debut?

I need time to get to know the group. Everything really accelerated at the end of December. I need to give myself a bit of time to find my bearings and get to know everyone before starting the first races. It will be the Classique Var and the Tour des Alpes Maritimes at the end of February.

There is a rivalry between Groupama-FDJ and Decathlon-AG2R. Do you think your choice was taken badly? ?

There is a rivalry, but much less important than before. It is not the equivalent of a PSG-OM. Now, there are a lot of top-level teams. All the teams are opponents. We are compared a bit to the Champions League. The little French-French war exists much less than it did a few years ago.

Your former colleagues won't glare at you at the next event so ?

I still have a lot of friends. I have a lot of affection for the runners. Obviously, we will be opponents in the race. But outside of it, it will remain very friendly.

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