All images: Wikimedia Commons
2024, A few bright spots to save the year
Ever since Arkéa-B&B Hotels got promoted into the World Tour division at the start of 2023, it has been really difficult for the team from Brittany to perform at the highest level of cycling. This year, despite some amazing and unexpected results, this tendency confirmed itself as Emmanuel Hubert’s men only raised their arms once in a World Tour race, with Kévin Vauquelin on the second stage of the Tour de France. This win, the team’s first at a Grand Tour, was incredible for Arkéa-B&B, bringing some relief for everyone.
The Classics campaign also had some amazing moments for the men in red, as Luca Mozzato and Vauquelin managed to record two podiums in the spring. First of all, the Italian came a little out of nowhere to win the sprint for second place at the Ronde van Vlaanderen in a group with riders such as Michael Matthews, Alberto Bettiol or Nils Politt. He made history for his team, posting the first ever Monument podium for them. A few weeks later, in appalling weather, Kévin Vauquelin was only beaten by Stephen Williams at the top of the Mur de Huy, finishing second of one of the craziest races of the year, La Flèche Wallonne.
However, the rest of the season was not amazing for the French team, who only won nine times in 2024, mainly in small French races. The lack of results from key riders of the team such as Arnaud Démare or Clément Champoussin, who were some of the biggest salaries of the team didn’t help Emmanuel Hubert’s men. This complicated season put Arkéa-B&B in difficulty for the coefficient races 2023-2025, as they are currently 19th in the rankings, which, if it does not improve by the end of next season, will cost them their World Tour license.
An uncertain future
After a difficult year in 2024, a big interseason was needed for Arkéa-B&B Hotels in their objective of keeping their World Tour license. However, the team suffered from a budget reduction and had to let go of some key riders of the collective such as Clément Champoussin, Vincenzo Albanese and Matis Louvel, without being able to replace them. The future of the team from Brittany is uncertain, as stated by manager Emmanuel Hubert a few months ago. Indeed, the co-sponsor B&B Hotels still has not extended its contract with the French team beyond 2025 and it is now uncertain whether the team will still exist in the professional peloton in 2026.
This lack of resources forced Arkéa-B&B Hotels management staff to turn to the young riders, mainly from their academy. Indeed, of the six riders joining the team next season, five of them were under contract with the development team of Arkéa-B&B Hotels in 2024.
Among them, one of the most promising should be the Norwegian Embret Sevstad-Bardseng. At 22 years old, the native of Oslo has had a great 2024 season, which he concluded by finishing fourth at Il Lombardia U23. This great climber also showed his abilities at the Alpes Isère Tour, where he finished fifth overall, and at the Tour of Oman that he rode with the World Tour team and where he finished in the top 20. Sevstad-Bardseng will not be the only Norwegian to join Arkéa-B&B Hotels next season as his compatriot Martin Tjotta will follow the same path. The 23-year-old is also a good climber and it would not be surprising to see him in breakaways throughout the season.
Arkéa-B&B Hotels staff also bet on some young French riders, such as Léandre Lozouet, who finished on the podium at the European Championships U23, only beaten by Huub Artz from Intermarché-Wanty and Niklas Behrens, who signed with Visma-Lease a Bike. This complete rider likes hilly races and could be a revelation in some French cup races. It is also on this kind of race that his compatriots Louis Rouland – the French U23 vice-champion – and Victor Guernalec could perform. Finally, the young Italian Giosuè Epis will complete the roster of Arkéa-B&B Hotels for next season.
Kévin Vauquelin is the leading light for the Breton team in their fight for survival
Kévin Vauquelin, another step to climb
In 2024, Kévin Vauquelin was one of, if not the, best rider for Arkéa-B&B Hotels. Indeed, the rider from Bayeux in Normandy showed that he had entered a new dimension with great performances throughout the season, becoming the second best performer in terms of UCI points for his team.
Everything started very well for Vauquelin. Indeed, the 23-year-old began his season with a podium at the GP La Marseillaise and in the general classification of the Etoiles de Bessèges, where he won the final time trial. After these promising results, the French climber confirmed his form with two top 10s in World Tour races: Tirreno-Adriatico and the Itzulia Basque Country. His good form did not stop here as he also took second place on the podium at the top of the Mur de Huy at the Flèche Wallonne, after one of the craziest races of the year.
During the second part of the season, Kévin Vauquelin’s main objective was the Tour de France, where he took the start for the first time in his career. The second stage allowed him to realise the dream of young cyclists all over the world, as he raised his arms in Bologna after dropping all of his breakaway companions 14 kilometres from the finish line.
After this very good season, where he revealed himself a little more to the eyes of the cycling fans, Vauquelin’s challenge for 2025 will be to confirm the expectations that will be placed on him. Indeed, his team really needs a lot of UCI points to stay in the World Tour in 2026 and the French rider should be one of the main protagonists of their quest. It will be interesting to see if the young Frenchman is able to play for general classifications with the best climbers in the world next season or if he will become a stage hunter, chasing wins and UCI points. Either way, with his contract expiring at the end of 2025, Kévin Vauquelin will want to show himself as one of the riders to recruit for the future.
Arnaud Démare has performed well at the Giro d'Italia in the past: will he target La Corsa Rosa on his quest for 100 wins?
Arnaud Démare: Objective 100
After a 2024 season where he only raised his arms twice, the worst total of his career, Arnaud Démare finished the season at 97 successes throughout his career. His main objective for 2025 will be to reach the highly symbolic mark of one hundred wins, which would allow him to enter a very elite circle.
For his first full season with Arkéa-B&B Hotels after joining the team from Groupama-FDJ in August 2023, Arnaud Démare did not have the expected success. Indeed, the rider from Beauvais in Northern France only won twice during the season, at Paris-Chauny and on the Tour Poitou-Charentes. After a very complicated first part of the season on World Tour races, the former Milano-Sanremo winner recorded two top 10s at the Tour de France before going back to winning ways at some smaller French races. 2024 was the first season that saw the French rider outside of the top 100 in the UCI classification since he began his professional career in 2012.
At 33 years old, the time is starting to run out for the eight-times stage winner at the Giro. Indeed, with his contract expiring at the end of 2025, the future is uncertain for Arnaud Démare. The fact that his team is fighting to avoid relegation in ProTeam also adds pressure on the shoulders of the former ciclamino jersey winner, who of course has in mind the bar of the 100 wins. The Frenchman would be the 25th rider in the history of cycling to reach this point and the fourth French rider after Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault and Laurent Jalabert. With his 97 wins, Arnaud Démare will already be the most successful active rider in the peloton next season, let’s hope for him that he will write his name in the history books, among the legends of our sport.
Luca Mozzato, one of the keys to survival
Luca Mozzato managed one of the most unexpected results in 2024 with his incredible second place at the Ronde van Vlaanderen. The Italian will now have to prove that this podium was not a stroke of luck and that he is able to re-create this kind of exploit, that could allow his team to save itself.
Since the beginning of his career, Luca Mozzato has not been really under the spotlight at the top level of cycling. However, the native of Arzignano really made a name for himself when he sprinted for second place in Oudenaarde in 2024 among some of the biggest stars in the peloton. Despite a good Classics campaign in the weeks prior, with a tenth place at Brugge-De Panne and a top 15 at Gent-Wevelgem, nobody was expecting the Italian to finish on the podium of the “Old Lady”, one of the most prestigious races in the world. In addition to the spotlight for his team, who entered the podium of a Monument for the first time, this amazing performance also brought them 640 UCI points, that were much needed for Emmanuel Hubert’s men.
Over and above this stunning result, Luca Mozzato also raised his arms at the Bredene-Koksijde Classic, beating some world class sprinters such as Dylan Groenewegen and Arnaud De Lie. The ability of the Italian to score big UCI points in one-day races is vital for his team in their quest to avoid relegation. However, following his performance at the Ronde, the 26-year-old will now be more supervised in the peloton by his opponents, making his task harder. Next season, the former Binche-Chimay-Binche winner will have to prove that he is able to perform very well again in the Flanders Classics, as he will also be entering the final year of his contract.
Enjoyed this? Check out our previous men's WT previews:
Member discussion