FDJ-BigMat will line up at next week’s Tour of Beijing without a conventional sprinter, but will be looking to take glory in other ways in a race that suited the fastmen last year. The French WorldTour team was not present at last year’s inaugural event, since it was then at Professional Continental level, but this time around will be looking to take some last minute points in the season-long rankings.
“This year we won more races in bunch sprints than in breakaways,” said FDJ-BigMat’s team manager Marc Madiot, “so a different approach will be needed this week.
“We have no sprinters, so it will be hard to win a stage, but we will try.”
Despite currently sitting 18th and last in the International Cycling Union (UCI) WorldTour rankings, with only Beijing to come, Madiot declares the team’s first season back up at the top level of the sport, having spent one season at the lower level.
“With 24 victories, including two stages of the Tour de France, the Vattenfall Cyclassics WorldTour race in Hamburg, a stage of the Dauphine and the championship of France the year has been a good one,” he said.
Despite arguably needing points more than most teams, FDJ-BigMat is sending just six riders - out of a possible eight - to the race; many of these have a long list of combativity prizes to their credit however, and expect to do well.
Jeremy Roy won the overall supercombativity prize at the 2011 Tour de France, thanks to his constant attacks, while Matthieu Ladagnous and Anthony Roux both took individual stage prizes during this year’s race.
FDJ-BigMat team for the Tour of Beijing
David Boucher, Matthieu Ladagnous, Dominique Rollin, Anthony Roux, Jérémy Roy and Jussi Veikkanen