STEFAN KÜNG ACHIEVES A CAREER GOAL: A GT STAGE WIN!

It was an oddity: Stefan Küng had never won a stage in a three-week race. It has been corrected on the Vuelta! The Swiss rider, twice European time trial champion, stage winner on the Tour de Suisse, Tour de Romandie and Tour of Benelux, multiple worlds medallist and several-time main actor in cobbled monuments, had never finished better than second in a Grand Tour stage. The counter has now been unlocked thanks to his performance in Madrid's TT, riding his Wilier Triestina Supersonica SLR. This victory closed the book on a very fine Vuelta for the Groupama-FDJ cycling team, which saw David Gaudu return to the highest level by taking sixth place in the general classifications, after a remarkable third week which saw the Breton prove that he had lost none of his climbing or recovery skills. The Iberian race, which allowed the team to rediscover the joys of Grand Tour success, will undoubtedly serve as a base from which to prepare for the 2025 season.

A VERY BUSY (AND SUCCESSFUL) SEPTEMBER 

Stefan Küng and David Gaudu didn't take any time off after the Vuelta. The Swiss rider won a silver medal in the European Time Trial Championships, only beaten by Italy's Adoardo Affini, before finishing in the top 10 at his hometown Zürich's World Championships. For his part, the Frenchman returned to competition at the Tour of Luxembourg, where he won the final stage, racing aggressively before finally taking a solo victory in the streets of the capital city. Rudy Molard's third place in the Grand Prix de Québec was another great performance, achieved earlier in Canada. This magnificent podium finish, his first in a WorldTour classic, was the reward for his patience, hard work and dedication: he had suffered a very serious crash on the Tour Down Under in January, which kept him out of competition for three months.

On the French calendar, the team's young riders came very close to victory. At the Grand Prix d'Isbergues, Laurence Pithie took second place, beaten only by Dutchman Arvid de Kleijn. A week later, at Paris-Chauny, it was Paul Penhoët who took the runner-up spot, preceded by Arnaud Démare. La Conti, meanwhile, was competing in the most challenging race on its 2024 calendar: the Tour of Britain. On this prestigious event, Noah Hobbs took fourth place on stage four and seventh place on the final day. Then it was Ronan Augé's turn to shine, finishing third in the Grand Prix de Nogent-sur-Oise and fifth in Paris-Vierzon.

 

As an official partner of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the FDJ Group would like to congratulate the French delegation and applaud the excellent performance of the thirty-two athletes from the FDJ Sport Factory who qualified for the competition. In total, the FDJ collective won twenty-five medals, including seven golds, four silvers and fourteen bronzes. This remarkable result, fifteen medals more than at the Tokyo 2021 OG, rewards the excellence and determination of these athletes and confirms the quality of the FDJ Sport Factory's detection programme.

THE 16 FDJ SPORT FACTORY MEDALLISTS

Lisa Barbelin - Bronze in archery  
Cassandre Beaugrand - Gold in triathlon
Matéo Bohéas - Bronze in para table tennis
Laurent Chardard - Bronze in para-swimming 50m butterfly; Bronze in 100m freestyle
Johanne Defay - Bronze in surfing
Romane Dicko - Gold in team judo and Bronze in individual
Anthony Jeanjean - Bronze in BMX free style
Hélios Latchoumanaya - Bronze in para judo
Althéa Laurin - Gold in taekwondo  
Alexandre Léauté - Gold in para track cycling (pursuit); Bronze in para track cycling (time trial); Gold in road time trial; Bronze in para road cycling
Enzo Lefort - Bronze in team foil fencing  
Charles Noakes - Gold in para badminton  
Emeline Pierre - Gold in para swimming 100m freestyle; Bronze in para swimming 100m backstroke
Alex Portal - Silver in para swimming 100m butterfly, Silver in 400m freestyle, Silver in 200m medley; Bronze in 100m backstroke
Cyrian Ravet - Bronze in taekwondo
Cyréna Samba-Mayela - Silver in athletics 100m hurdles

The successor to the ‘Challenge’ programme for top-level sport created by FDJ in 1991, the FDJ Sport Factory supports a total of fifty-two athletes in their preparation for major sporting events, providing them with human and financial support. On 3 October, the FDJ Group will be bringing together all the athletes in the collective, including the sixteen FDJ Sport Factory medallists, to celebrate their performances alongside the company's employees and partners.  

La Française des Jeux would also like to salute Tony Estanguet, President of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organising Committee, as well as all the women and men who have contributed to the exceptional organisation of these Olympic Games. The Group is proud to have supported the Paris 2024 bid since 2016, and to have contributed in this way to promoting France on the international stage. Another source of pride is that, throughout the Olympic and Paralympic competitions, nearly one hundred and fifty FDJ Group employees helped to ensure that the events ran smoothly, to welcome the athletes and spectators, and to relay the Olympic flame.   

A legacy: helping to highlight sport for all and inclusion as a driving force for changing society.

Sport has a major impact on society, and the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games were a unique opportunity to develop sport and diversity throughout the country. La Française des Jeux was therefore also keen to leave a tangible mark on the national territory. This commitment led to the launch of the "Gagner du terrain" programme, in association with the French National Sports Agency (ANS) and the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organising Committee. FDJ has financed the construction of fifty-four free, open-access sports facilities throughout France to encourage people to enjoy the practice of sport. 

FDJ has also contributed to the creation of a programme to support women's participation and inclusion through sport, as part of the "Impact 2024" call for projects, with twenty-seven associations with which the Group has been working for three years.

 

Since its creation in 2015, Casiopeea has been helping women affected by cancer on their journey to recovery through sport, and particularly through cycling. As a partner since 2021, Groupama is proud to support the association in all its sporting initiatives. After organising a cycling trip between Paris and Bucharest in 2021, then "Le Lien Rose" in 2022 to link Lyon, Lille, Paris and Nantes with a pink ribbon, the association is now organising the « Rando Vélo Rose », on Sunday 27 October at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines sports and leisure centre.

The participants in this challenge will be taking part in a 48km ride in support of women fighting breast cancer. Supervised by volunteers from the association, the « Rando Vélo Rose »  is designed to be friendly and accessible, open to all, whatever their level or equipment. The route around Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines promises to experience a special moment. It will in fact be much more than a simple bike ride: it will symbolise determination, courage and awareness.

The end of the season is near! The team will be taking part in its very last races in two countries: France and Italy. In France, Paris-Tours, in both its Elite and U23 versions, will be the final highlight of the calendar on the 6th, before the Chrono des Nations on the 13th. In Italy, Il Lombardia, which finishes in Como this year, will be the fifth major one-day race of the season. The Tour of Emilia, the Coppa Agostoni and the Tre Valli Varesine will provide an interesting build-up to the mythical Dead Leaves Classic, before Giro del Veneto and Veneto Classic will wrap up the 2024 book.

At the same time, all the team's riders, from members of the Programme Juniors to the La Conti and WorldTour members, will be in Besançon for a series of tests, interviews and workshops designed both to bring their 2024 season to a close and to prepare for next year.

Play for your chance to win a team jersey signed by the eight riders who took part in the recent Vuelta. To do so, find the right answer to six questions about several of these riders and you will have a shot at being drawn!