Recently on Cyclingnews.com |
 Bayern Rundfahrt Photo ©: Schaaf |
FDJeux.com and Lapierre: A working partnership
 |
In a sport as equipment-intensive as cycling, it's natural for a bond to form between the human and material side of the business. One such bond is that shared between Marc Madiot, directeur sportif of the French FDJeux.com team, and Gilles Lapierre of Lapierre Cycles. Chris Henry reports.
Entering its third season of sponsorship with FDJeux.com, Lapierre has seen his frames ridden to victory throughout the season, with Tour de France yellow and green jerseys as a reward. Lapierre's grandfather Gaston started the company in Dijon, France in 1946, expanding beyond a small family business in the post-war boom and eventually passing the reigns to his son Jacky.
A new production facility was built in 1973, and as the company's reputation grew, Lapierre decided to enter into a partnership with the Atag Cycle Group of the Netherlands. In 1996, after three years of collaboration, Lapierre sold its shares to Atag and Jacky's son Gilles became the third generation of Lapierre to take control of the company.
After success in the professional peloton in 2002 and an even better 2003, highlighted by Baden Cooke's green jersey in the Tour de France and Bradley McGee's prologue victory and subequent spell in yellow, FDJeux.com and Lapierre signed for an additional two years of sponsorship.
Sitting down with Lapierre and Madiot at the Mondial du Deux Roues bicycle trade show in Paris, Cyclingnews managed to get a glimpse of a partnership in action, as well as solicit a few words from Madiot on the team's recent success and his interest in young talent from Australia.
"It's a relationship that's been in place for two seasons now," Madiot said of FDJeux.com's sponsorship from Lapierre. "There was an introduction through Shimano, and we were at the end of our sponsorship with Gitane at the time - we were with them for five years - so things came together naturally."
 |
Madiot has been pleased with the results thus far, and looks forward to carrying on with Lapierre. Gilles was eager to show the company's new full carbon frame, the CarbonX.lite, weighing in at under 7kg with full Shimano Dura-Ace 10 speed. Though not set in stone, the possibility exists for FDJeux.com to begin riding the carbon frames in 2004.
"Each time there is new equipment, we're asked to do some tests," explained Madiot. "There's a nice range of materials available, and ultimately it's the riders who decide."
Speaking of riders, how does Madiot feel about his band of Australians who have brought so much success to the team in the past few seasons? Can Baden Cooke, emerging as one of the peloton's fastest finishers, win a monument of cycling like Paris-Roubaix?
"Yes, of course! At one point or another..."
"I've had an excellent relationship for several years with McGee; he was the first to come, the precursor," he added. "Things have gone very well with the others."
 |
Ever the pragmatic, and a man of few words, Madiot had nothing but praise for riders like McGee, but knows that good things develop over time. "He has the profile to get through the mountains and do well in the stage races, maybe up to three weeks," he said of McGee's progression. "He still needs at least two or three years."
Lapierre too has plenty of reason to be satisfied with the Aussie contingent. McGee, obviously satisfied with the quality of his ride at FDJeux.com, has begun his own business venture importing Lapierre frames in Australia.
Madiot places an enormous emphasis on the development of young talent, and on nurturing younger riders without expecting too much too soon. For 2004, FDJeux.com will add five neo-professionals to the roster, including talented Frenchman Jeremy Roy, as well as another Aussie, Mark Renshaw.
"He has good qualities for sprinting," Madiot said about Renshaw. "He's young, he's rough around the edges, he needs to mature... He has good qualities."
Renshaw's success on the track as part of the Australian national team helped get him noticed, but Madiot shows no ambivalence about where Renshaw should be heading. "He's with us for a career on the road, to win sprints."
Simple as that.
See also: On Show: Mondial du Deux Roues; Brad McGee's Tour de France diary
