![\"ClementVenturini\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/clementventurini-69106c724f7b5.jpg@webp.webp\")
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The team’s demise led to this situation, but Venturini not finding a contract does come as a surprise, specially as the team’s end was known for many months already. “I really didn’t see myself retiring in 2026, and I still don’t. I still have energy, but I have to think about it… Given my physical condition and recent performances, most people around me don’t understand how it could end. They tell me to keep believing until the very end, as long as the door isn’t closed”.<\/p>\n
Rejections from the World Tour\u00a0<\/p>\n
“It’s not that I’m pessimistic, but I also want to be clear-sighted so I don’t fall so hard. In my mind, I still have a glimmer of hope. Some people choose their own end; I wouldn’t have that luxury if it were to end. It’s hard to accept. If my last race was the Tour de Vend\u00e9e, that’s a shame… If it really has to stop, the digestion will be very hard.”<\/p>\n
Venturini has in his palmar\u00e8s a GC win at the 4 Jours de Dunkerque and stage wins at the Tour of Austria and La Route d’Occitanie. Only four triumphs, but plenty top results, specially in the French cup events where his sprinter\/classics specialist abilities turn him into a versatile rider capable of scoring big points.<\/p>\n
But in the World Tour, it’s unlikely for him to have a future as of now. “I’ve received rejections because some teams already have enough riders like me on their roster. Some want to rejuvenate their teams, and I’m 32, so I’m too old. Some riders don’t guarantee as many points as me, but they’re younger and bring a fresh perspective”.<\/p>\n
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Venturini at the 2025 Tour de France. @Sirotti<\/p>\n
However he does not intend on taking a contract at continental level. Perhaps not ProTeam level either, judging by his words: “I really want to be a rider in 2026, but not under just any conditions. I’ve had 12 great years, on some great teams, but I don’t want to keep going at any cost. Not that I’ve become complacent, but at my level of expectation, there has to be something to live up to. I can’t take a step down. I’ve turned down teams at lower levels. I know I wouldn’t have thrived at that level.”<\/p>\n
But the 32-year old believes that he is in the mix with the best and is worthy of finding himself a new contract at the top level, as he’s had with Ark\u00e9a, AG2R and Cofidis over his carerr. “The financial aspect, for smaller teams, could also be a factor. However, I’m not asking for a contract commensurate with my UCI points, just a decent contract for my commitment and my level. I certainly have my flaws, and they catch up with me sometimes \u2013 my personality, my high standards for myself and others, which can be a bit harsh.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The team’s demise led to this situation, but Venturini not finding a contract does come as a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":295481,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[569],"tags":[169489,64,63,169488,784,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-295480","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cycling","8":"tag-arkea-pro-cycling-team","9":"tag-au","10":"tag-australia","11":"tag-clement-venturini","12":"tag-cycling","13":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/295480","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=295480"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/295480\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/295481"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=295480"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=295480"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=295480"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}