At the time, the announcement perhaps did not have all the response it deserved since the world of cycling was only talking about the failed merger between Jumbo-Visma and Soudal-Quick Step. The future was negotiated more calmly on the side of the Savoyard team, which therefore took on a ch'ti accent this winter since Decathlon is today based in Lille, a few kilometers from Villeneuve-d'Ascq where it created in 1976.
At the end of the classics, the first results of this new partnership are rather flattering since the team already has ten victories on the clock, one more than in the entire 2023 season.
Money, but not only
However, the two star recruits of the winter, made possible by the budget increase, are remaining discreet. Sam Bennett is still far from the level that allowed him to achieve ten successes in grand tours between 2018 and 2022. As for Victor Lafay, who exploded during the last Tour de France with a prestigious stage victory, he has not not yet able to show off his new jersey due to physical problems.
But perhaps the company's main contribution lies elsewhere: it has made its brand new Van Rysel RCR bikes available to the team. Exit BMC, therefore, which has equipped the training since 2021. Ending the partnership with a brand well established in the peloton to join forces with a company which is better known to Sunday athletes than to the professional world could be akin to a bet a little crazy but Vincent Lavenu wanted to reassure everyone from this famous November 27, 2023: “The riders, who will have a real war machine at their disposal, will not be able to tell me that the lack of results comes from the bike.”
Obviously, you will never hear a team boss or rider publicly doubting a new partner. But the terms “war machine”, coming from the mouth of an always measured Vincent Lavenu, were surprising. “For my part, I discussed this new bike with Oliver Naesen before signing with the team. He spoke of the Van Rysel as the best bike he had ridden in his career.. I directly thought : 'He has to tell me that'”, Sander De Pestel explains to us. It didn't take long for the ex-Team Flanders-Baloise rider to fall under its spell.
”A gain of around 3%”
During his internship this winter, De Pestel first noticed that he was saving a lot of time on several Strava segments: “Up to 30 seconds on certain descents, where aerodynamics become very important.” Lined up in February on the Ruta del Sol, most of the stages of which were canceled at the last minute due to strikes, the 25-year-old rider had the opportunity to share training there with riders from other teams. Companions in misfortune who had to fill their days well in the absence of competition and who took the opportunity to express their curiosity about this new bike. “I did a five-minute bump with an ex-teammate and I had to push 15 watts less at equivalent speed and weight. At our level, where every detail counts, that's a huge difference. The gain obviously depends on the speed but I would say that in general this new bike saves me about 3% of force.”
”The aerodynamics of the bike are excellent”, supports Jordan Labrosse, runner who turned professional this year. The Rhodanian has long held the hats of member of youth teams and… mechanic in his current training, so he knows a lot about equipment. Especially since Van Rysel equipped the junior team when he played there. “The comfort and rigidity are also there, they did an incredible job.”
An increasingly mechanical sport
He too witnesses the curiosity of the peloton around his new mount. “Several guys have already told me that our bike looks super fast. We know that cycling is becoming more and more of a mechanical sport, so it’s a real luxury to have confidence in your machine and to know that it will optimize our training hours.”
Sander De Pestel says nothing else: “More than individuals, we see complete teams being in good shape. We knew the time when the formations which were equipped by Specialized, in particular the Soudal – Quick Step, were going strong. This remains a reference mark but we feel through recent results that the difference with the rest of the peloton is fading. This year, we see that Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale is performing better than in 2023 and those who were already on the team last year are unanimous: it is mainly thanks to the equipment. It must be said that BMC had not proposed any changes to its framework for several years.”
In addition to the direct gain offered by the equipment, there are all the benefits to be drawn from the positive spiral that results: “Obviously, we have even more motivation to do the job when we know that the equipment will make our good shape profitable. The whole team is invaded by a positive spiral”concludes Sander De Pestel.
Performance serving the greatest number
The Van Rysel brand was created by Decathlon in 2019 with the desire to enter the high performance market, while B'TWIN (city bikes) and Triban (cyclotouring) were aimed at different audiences.
The RCR model project was born about three years ago. Jeremie Debeuf, product manager, explains to us: “Since the beginning, the ambition has been to compete with the best on the market. We did comparative tests with the other World Tour bikes to ensure that we brought a competitive advantage to the team.”
It was therefore at B'TWIN Village, in Lille, that the RCR was developed. “Around twenty prototypes were necessary, notably via 3D printing which allows a model to be directly tested in a wind tunnel.” A very accessible wind tunnel since the engineers worked in collaboration with Onera (French aerospace research center) which is located a short kilometer from Decathlon's laboratories.
”There is aerodynamics, of course, since the bike represents about 25% of the forward resistance. But there is also rigidity, which ensures that the power transmitted by the rider through the pedals is not lost. And there is lightness, since we fight against gravity… especially in the passes. We can go down to 6.8 kg with the RCR equipped with mountain wheels”, continues Jeremie Debeuf. Wheels supplied by Swiss Side, whose initial expertise is in Formula 1 since its co-founder Jean-Paul Ballard was an engineer at Sauber.
Regarding lightness, no concessions were made: “We allowed ourselves a maximum of 35 grams of paint. The model is therefore very sober since it is essentially covered with black varnish. There was no question of sacrificing performance for design.”
A long-term project
Today, Decathlon markets two Van Rysel RCRs. The “pro” version costs up to 9,000 euros if you want an exact reproduction of the bike used by Oliver Naesen and his teammates. But a “classic” version is available from 4,200 euros. “This version is more tolerant and comfortable for the amateur cyclist who is less looking for performance”, explains Jeremie Debeuf. The first machines sold like hotcakes, so much so that some models are out of stock.
It must be said that the prices displayed are below those of the brands established in the peloton: up to 15,000 euros for high-end bikes from the most renowned brands. “Being part of the Decathlon group, Van Rysel wants to remain accessible to as many people as possible. I cannot guarantee that the price will not increase for the next models because technological developments mean that we are putting more and more value into research and components, but we want to make the performance available to as many people as possible. people.”
Although our interlocutor is careful not to reveal the budget necessary for the development of such a project, he does not hide the fact that around fifty people were involved during the two and a half years of research. “When we see the results, we say to ourselves that we were right to do it. There is a real cause and effect link between the team's performance and the enthusiasm around the products we offer. This makes us proud but we remain humble because we know that the high level requires permanent investment. We signed a five-year contract with the World Tour team, it’s proof that we want to establish ourselves among the world’s top players for the long term.”continues Jeremie Debeuf.
In order to conclude other partnerships in professional sport? “Let’s just say there was curiosity around Van Rysel last year and it turned into interest this year”concludes the project manager.
