[ad_1]
After scoring the most important victory of his profession with a solo stage win at this summer season’s Tour de France, Victor Lafay is aiming to proceed that success together with his new staff Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale in 2024.
The French puncheur, who may beforehand depend phases on the Giro d’Italia and Arctic Race of Norway amongst his 4 profession victories, has mentioned that he’ll be eyeing outcomes on the Ardennes Classics subsequent spring as he embarks on a brand new journey after 5 years at Cofidis.
27-year-old Lafay completed a career-best sixth at La Flèche Wallonne this season, coming house within the group behind winner Tadej Pogačar. He lately instructed Dutch web site In De Leiderstrui that it could be a “dream” to attain an enormous consequence within the Ardennes.
“Hopefully, I can proceed to develop strongly, similar to in earlier seasons, as a result of that is an vital supply of satisfaction,” Lafay mentioned.
“Frequently enhancing is a course of that appeals to me lots. At the beginning, I need to do higher than in 2023. So, including to my win complete is vital in that sense.
“There are additionally many races that I want to win, which on the identical time actually go well with my traits. For instance, I’m speaking about La Flèche Wallonne or Liège-Bastogne-Liège. It is going to be tough to beat guys like Tadej Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel there, however you possibly can all the time dream.”
Lafay, who turned professional with Cofidis in 2019, is on the core of a new-look AG2R squad for 2024, becoming a member of dash star Sam Bennett, 2022 Giro stage winner Dries De Bondt, and Bruno Armirail among the many staff’s main signings for the brand new season.
He reportedly turned down a €1.5 million wage at his outdated squad to make the transfer, whereas rumours place his new wage at across the €1 million mark. Lafay mentioned that he is completely happy to stay inside a “French biking tradition” going ahead, having acquired affords from quite a few international groups this season.
“I consciously selected a French staff,” he mentioned. “Final 12 months I spoke to a number of groups about my future, even earlier than the Tour de France. It’s certainly true that I discovered it tough to choose.
“In fact, having a alternative in any respect is a type of luxurious place. I used to be lucky to have the ability to make my very own alternative concerning my future. There have been a number of international choices for me, however the French biking tradition inside this staff was actually my choice. It was your best option I may make.”
Lafay mentioned that his new squad – which waves goodbye to the retiring Greg Van Avermaet however retains GC man Ben O’Connor and Classics stars Oliver Naesen and Benoît Cosnefroy – “can take part in any race for an excellent consequence.”
As for his personal private targets, he mentioned {that a} return to the Tour de France and extra stage victories will likely be excessive on his record together with the Ardennes and a spot on the house Olympic Video games in Paris.
“The Tour de France will usually be an vital objective for me once more,” he mentioned. “I may go both approach with that, though chasing stage victories is the obvious alternative.
“In any case, I need to have an excellent 12 months throughout the board, hopefully with some constructive highlights. The Olympic Video games are in fact organised in France. As a Frenchman, I even have to show that distinctive alternative right into a objective.”
[ad_2]