“It’s good, we have everything we need”summarizes Lucas Fouquet, the chief mechanic of the FDJ-Suez-Futuroscope team, in his workshop in Jaunay-Marigny. “Six girls from the FDJ, three bikes per girl, that’s 18 bikes. We also bring something to reassemble bikes. Frames, tubulars…” he lists. For this first women’s Tour de France, with its eight stages in eight days, the team does not skimp on resources. “We must show that the women’s teams are now able to provide the same resources as for the men”, specifies Stephen Delcourt, the manager.
We are well aware that we are experiencing a historic moment, a turning point!” Stephen Delcourt
– Fanny Bouvard
This Sunday, July 24, the race will start from the Eiffel Tower, then head east. After Alsace, she will join Sunday, July 31, the mythical super board of beautiful girls. Around Stephen Delcourt and Lucas Fouquet, twenty other members of the FDJ will be present. Doctors, osteopaths, nutritionists, mechanics, trainers… “We have never taken so many people”, recognizes Stephen Delcourt, who recalls that from 5 employees in 2019, the team has grown to 35 this year.
Beyond the very good performances of the girls of the Poitevin selection, the financial capacities of the FDJ clearly demonstrates its rise. “We were able to afford a huge technical truck”smiles Lucas Fouquet. “We are the only women’s team on this Tour”.