Decathlon CMA CGM dismisses speculation over Swiss license and reaffirms French identity

Speculation picked up earlier this week following a report from WielerFlits linking the team to a potential Swiss license and the news quickly circulated in the media.

However, the team has firmly denied any plans to change nationality. Deputy CEO Mathieu Charpentier addressed the situation directly to RMC Sport, placing the rumours in the context of ongoing speculation surrounding the team.

"This is a period where there is a lot of noise around the team, a lot of chatter, whether it is about our riders, like Paul Seixas, who is being announced in every WorldTour team," Charpentier said. "Last year, we were told we were going to move to Lille with the takeover of the team by Decathlon, that we were going to move to Belgium. This year, we are being announced in Switzerland."

According to Charpentier, Decathlon CMA CGM will continue to operate under the French flag in the coming years. He also confirmed that the team’s performance centre will remain in Chambéry.

"The team confirms that it will remain under the French flag, that it will continue to race, in the coming years, under the French flag, and that the performance centre will remain in Chambéry."

While the origins of the latest rumour are unclear, financial factors are often a recurring theme in such discussions. France is known within professional cycling for relatively high employer contributions, which can impact team budgets compared to organisations based in other countries.

Despite this, Charpentier made clear that Decathlon CMA CGM has no intention of allowing off the bike debates to distract from its sporting ambitions. 

"We have important upcoming events, whether it is in the Basque Country, where we will try to win this WorldTour race that France has been waiting for for a very long time, or at Paris Roubaix with strong ambitions," he said. "We are focused on sporting objectives."

With a victory in the Basque Country, Paul Seixas would become the first French rider since Christophe Moreau in 2007 (Dauphiné Libéré) to win a WorldTour stage race.