After almost three decades at the helm, Marc Madiot is preparing to hand over day-to-day control of the team he founded. The move will mark the end of one of the longest-running leadership tenures in modern pro cycling.<\/p>\n
The 66-year-old Frenchman confirmed to L\u2019\u00c9quipe<\/a> on Saturday that he will step down as general manager of Groupama-FDJ. Longtime deputy Thierry Cornec (a former top amateur from teams like VC Ch\u00e2teaulin and VS Quimper) set to take over. The transition will take place in April, when Madiot turns 67, though the shift has already begun behind the scenes.<\/p>\n \u201cFor me, it was time,\u201d Madiot said. After decades of making the final calls, he believes the moment is right to open the door for new leadership.<\/p>\n Madiot described the team as \u201ca second child,\u201d a project he built from the ground up after launching La Fran\u00e7aise des Jeux in 1997.<\/p>\n As a pro, Madiot won twice at Paris-Roubaix, as well as a memorable stage at the Tour, among many other results. He raced mostly for French teams, with the exception being Telekom and Subaru-Montgomery (which later became US Postal.)<\/p>\n During his tenure, he also launched a women\u2019s team\u2013home now to one of the best in the sport, Demi Vollering. (Which goes against some of the things he said as a younger man\u2026)<\/a><\/p>\n Rather than walking away entirely, Madiot will move into a chairman role. He will also remain involved with sponsors. Cornec joined as deputy general manager in June 2024. He said to L\u2019\u00c9quipe that Madiot will continue to play a key role in long-term development, even as operational control changes hands.<\/p>\n