French cycling breathes a sigh of relief: the historic Team Total Energies is now history but the new XEFI team is born with force
He will continue in the platoon, but with another name. It was already known that Total Energies was going to stop sponsoring the French cycling team, and there were certain doubts about its continuity, but fortunately, and not as has unfortunately ended up happening with the team Spanish Kern Pharmathe French team will continue to fight in the peloton.
This has been confirmed by themselves in an official statement, which details that “the XEFI Groupa French specialist in local IT services for micro and small businesses, becomes the main sponsor of the professional cycling team founded by Jean-René Bernaudeau, starting in the 2027 season and for three seasons. The Vendée team will be called XEFI.”
Founded in 2000 by Jean-René Bernaudeau and with a solid training program, the team has launched riders who have made their mark in the peloton, such as Thomas Voeckler and Sylvain Chavanel
Based in Les Essarts-en-Bocage, Vendéethe team, chaired by Jean-Rene Bernaudeau and directed by Stephane Heulot, general director, was present at the exit of the Tour de France every year since 2000.
Founded in 2000 by Jean-Rene Bernaudeau and with a solid training program, the team has released cyclists who have left their mark on the peloton, such as Thomas Voeckler and Sylvain Chavanel. The statement details the creation of a comprehensive program for the cyclists of the future, with a cadet and youth structure in sports studies (CREF) and, subsequently, a development team (Vendée U – Primeo Energie), which will support young cyclists until they become professionals.
“I am pleased to see the alliance between XEFI and Vendée Cyclismea company with which we share much more than an ambition: an authentic vision of people and the future. Since the creation of CREF in 1991 and subsequently Vendée U – Primeo Energieour goal has been the same: to provide young people in our region with the opportunities that I myself have been fortunate enough to take advantage of. Train athletes, but above all, train people. Dedication, courage and solidarity are the values that we have always defended. This alliance with XEFI allows us to give life to these values and give them a new dimension in this medium-term project, which excites us all. This project is not a desperate attempt to reinvent the wheel, but a commitment to restore meaning to elite sport, staying true to our convictions and our demand for transparency.”
Now it remains to be known which corridors will be part of the project, since many of them had changed their scene due to the uncertainty they were experiencing, such as Anthony Turgis, that has landed in the XDS Astana or Jordan Jegat at the Lidl-Trek.
Like his predecessor, the XEFI will continue to play in the second division of cycling, UCI Pro Teamthe same as, for example, the Spanish teams of the Burgos Burpellet BH, Caja Rural-Seguros RGA and Euskaltel-EuskadYo. With his previous name, the Total Energys has finished this season at number 21 in the team ranking and finished this campaign with nine victories, with outstanding performances from Baptiste Vadic and Jason TessonBoth ended their contract with the team this year and at the moment it is not known which shield they will defend starting January 1.
