Arkéa-B&B Hotels under review: Vauqeulin and Mozzato save the day after yet another difficult year

Mathieu van der Poel was virtually unbeatable in the big classics this spring, but behind the Dutchman, Mozzato was the first to emerge in the Tour of Flanders. The Italian had already beaten the likes of Dylan Groenewegen and Arnaud de Lie earlier in the spring in the Bredene Koksijde Classic, but his second-place finish in the Tour was a huge stunt for the French team.

In addition to the Bredene Koksijde Classic, Arkéa-B&B Hotels won three other one-day races this year. In March, Jenthe Biermans was the fastest in La Route Adélie de Vitré, a French 1.1 race. Clément Champoussin also defeated the strong Michael Storer in the Giro della Toscana, and Arnaud Démare sprinted to victory in Paris-Chauny. Breakout star Vauquelin finished second in the Flèche Wallonne after being narrowly beaten by Stephen Williams in an impressive spring season.

Beyond that, it was a disappointing year for the French team. Démare had a difficult season and couldn’t contend in the major sprint classics. Hill specialist Vicenzo Albanese managed a top-ten finish in the E3 Saxo Classic but couldn’t claim a victory this year despite several close calls. In other (smaller) one-day races, Arkéa-B&B Hotels often failed to make an impact.

It was in the Tour de France where Kévin Vauquelin gave the French team the highlight of the year. In the second stage, the talented Frenchman broke away on the final climb of the legendary San Luca, and no one could stop him from winning the stage. A Frenchman from a French team winning a stage in the Tour de France... It was also Arkéa’s first-ever win in La Grande Boucle. This would ultimately be the pinnacle of Arkéa-B&B Hotels' year.

The French team doesn't have many riders capable of riding for the general classification. For a good overall result, they mainly look to Cristián Rodríguez. The Spaniard finished thirteenth in the Vuelta, twelfth in the Tour de Romandie and the Tour of Catalonia, and fifth in the Tour of Oman. Vauquelin was the most impressive in stage races for Arkéa-B&B Hotels, with top-ten finishes in Tirreno-Adriatico and the Tour of the Basque Country, alongside his stage win in the Tour. The team also had a second-place finish by Champoussin in the Arctic Race of Norway and a ninth-place finish by Ewen Costiou in the Tour of Guangxi.

Apart from Vauquelin’s brilliant Tour stage win, the French team only won four times in multi-day races, and none of these victories were particularly prestigious. Démare won a stage in the Tour Poitou-Charentes (2.1), Costiou in the Région Pays de la Loire Tour (2.1), Amaury Capiot in the Tour of Oman (2.Pro) and Vauquelin in the Étoile de Bessèges (2.1). Démare struggled to make an impact in the bunch sprints of the larger stage races, with his fourth place in the Renewi Tour being his best result.

In terms of victories, Arkéa-B&B Hotels took a step back compared to last year, with nine wins in 2024 versus ten in 2023. However, in terms of ratings, the team made significant progress, achieving a 6.3 this year compared to a bitter 2.9 last year. 2024 was once again a mediocre season for the French team, but thanks to Vauquelin and Mozzato, there were two giant highlights that were absolute gold for a team like Arkéa-B&B Hotels.

Due to the uncertain future of the French team, many riders have chosen to leave. The team also had to cut costs, which led to the departure of several riders. Champoussin, Louis Barré, Mathis Louvel, Daniel McLay and Alan Riou have all been announced as incoming transfers by other teams. Kévin Ledanois has retired, and the contracts of six more riders are set to expire at the end of this year: David Dekker, Donavan Grondin, Simon Guglielmi, Lukasz Owsian, Michel Ries and Alessandro Verre.

How will the team cope with this exodus? They have at least extended the contract of general classification rider Rodríguez. In addition, they’ve promoted four talents from the development team: Léandre Lozouet, Louis Rouland, Embret Svestad-Bårdseng and Martin Tjøtta. There doesn't seem to be any money for major signings (and, honestly, who would want to join a team uncertain of its future?), so the team will be hoping to renew several expiring contracts.

New arrivals: Léandre Lozouet, Louis Rouland, Embret Svestad-Bårdseng and Martin Tjøtta (all from Arkéa-B&B Hotels Continentale)

Due to the lack of new signings and the large number of departing riders, in 2025, Arkéa-B&B Hotels will largely rely on the same names as in 2024. The French team will especially hope that Vauquelin continues his rapid development. He already showed in the Tour that he can win against the world’s best. With his time trial skills, he is often in contention for strong overall finishes in stage races.

At just 21 years old, Costiou is also a dangerous rider in smaller races with his climbing and hill skills. In 2025, he could turn those skills into victories. And what about Démare? The sprinter from Beauvais is now 33 and sees his number of victories dwindling each year: from seven in 2022 to four in 2023, and just two in 2024. With McLay leaving for Visma | Lease a Bike, Démare also loses a strong lead-out man. Winning will become even more difficult for Démare as he ages.

In addition to the French sprinter, Arkéa-B&B Hotels still has another fast man in Mozzato. His victory in Koksijde suggests he has much more potential. Albanese was also often close this year, so keep an eye on him in hill races next year. Although the Italian last won in 2022, he could easily surprise us in 2025. Florian Sénéchal had a mentally tough year but said he’s on the right track again. The Frenchman, who has won a stage in the Vuelta, will hope to rediscover his strong form in one-day races in 2025.

Rodríguez will still be the team’s main hope for good overall results. The 29-year-old Spaniard extended his contract for two more years this year. He stated his goal is to achieve top-ten finishes in major stage races with Arkéa-B&B Hotels. With his thirteenth place in last year’s and this year’s Vuelta, he is already very close to that. Thanks to his experience and skills, Rodríguez is a true pillar of the team.

1. Vincenzo Albanese