After 5 years at Alpecin-Deceuninck, Dries De Bondt (32) will breathe the French air at Decathlon-AG2R. A transfer that has been revealed for some time but has only now been explained in detail. ‘At AG2R, we don’t have Van der Poel, Van Aert, or Pogacar on the team,’ revealed the 2020 Belgian champion to the Sporza TV channel during the presentation of Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale in Lille.
Joke from the new teammate
“It’s very simple, he wasn’t allowed to stay at Alpecin-Deceuninck,” Oliver Naesen joked at the beginning of De Bondt’s interview with the Belgian broadcaster.
“I have to deny immediately what Oli says,” De Bondt laughs. “Staying at Alpecin-Deceuninck was certainly an option. But I was open with the Roodhooft brothers (team owners).”
Presentation by the French sports director showed importance to the team
A key difference that convinced him to change was how the team sees him, as an important rider, as he explains:
“Our head sports director, Julien Jurdie, dedicated part of the presentation to me and my role in the team. That really makes me feel appreciated,” he says. “It also makes me want to start the season even more motivated and ambitious.”
Watch the video from the sports director of Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale:
“In AG2R, they don’t have Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert, and Tadej Pogacar at the start of the Classics. This means that the team, like all other teams without such a top rider, has to be creative in the Classics races,” De Bondt told Sporza.
“We’ll have to choose our moments in the race to send our men to the front. That’s the only way to compete against those great cyclists. Alongside Stan Dewulf and Oliver Naesen, I have a role that fits me like a glove,” concluded the new rider of Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale.