French newspaper Le Télégramme claims that after 25 seasons of involvement in pro cycling, insurance company AG2R La Mondiale is due to end its co-sponsorship of the French WorldTour team bearing their name at the end of the year.
The unconfirmed report drew a simple ‘no comment’ response from the team, currently known as Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, when Cyclingnews reached out for a reaction.
AG2R are currently one of the most longstanding sponsors in cycling, starting out back in 1998 when they joined the Casino squad.
They took over as main backer of one of France’s best-known WorldTour teams in 2000 and remained in the top spot until 2024, when sportswear manufacturer and retailer Decathlon took over as title sponsor.
Riders as well-known as Romain Bardet and Jean Christophe-Peraud both brought them Tour de France podium finishes over the years, whilst Ben O’Connor’s fourth place in the 2021 Tour de France and second place in the 2025 Vuelta a España were two other standout results in recent seasons.
This year, their biggest result so far has been a Giro d’Italia stage win, captured by Nicolas Prodhomme after a spectacular third week lone break through the Alps.
According to Le Télégramme, from 2026, the second sponsor would be cosmetics company L’Oréal. When Decathlon came on board, it was announced that the company would be a co-title sponsor until at least 2028, with the team riding their Van Rysel bikes.
It’s been widely reported – although official confirmation is not possible until August 1 – that the team have already signed sprinter Olav Kooij and all-rounder Tiesj Benoot from Visma-Lease a Bike for 2026, whilst Paul Seixas, one of France’s best-known up-and-coming racers, and Austrian stage racer Felix Gall are also remaining on their books for at least 2026.
According to Le Télégramme, Matthew Riccitello (Israel-Premier Tech) is another new signing for the team in 2026.
It was already published on X, formerly Twitter, by Daniel Benson on Tuesday that he was no longer on the market for next season. But the French newspaper report is the first hint as to where the young American climber, fifth in the Tour de Suisse in 2024 with his current Israel-Premier Tech squad and a former Tour de l’Avenir stage winner, may be headed next year.
