Management troubles with Europcar and Cofidis?

Rous on the loose

The season hasn’t started and we’ve yet to see the official colours of the Europcar team but things have not got off to an auspicious start.

The team’s number two directeur sportif Didier Rous has just resigned. A refugee from Festina, Rous apparently became a changed man under Jean-René Bernaudeau and after stopping his racing career took up a role behind the steering wheel with the Bouygues team. Never the sharpest tactician nor a master of sports science, he’s nevertheless been able to motivate many riders and put his racing knowledge to good use. According to Ouest France, Rous was ambitious to have a greater say in the running of the team, including recruitment and tactics rather than his frequent role as an assistant DS.

Cofidis
Last month there was a mini rumble chez Cofidis with a split between team manager Eric Boyer and Francis Van Londersele. The pair had never got along perfectly, Boyer was parachuted in after years of scandal and gradually assumed more and more control of the team, side-lining Van Londersele. At the team’s first training camp last month Van Londersele was conspicously absent. Officially he was ill but this might not be so. This time the causes of the split are unknown. Today Cofidis have announced rider Stéphane Augé will take up a role as a directeur sportif.

Musical car seats?
It now seems Van Londersele could turn up at Europcar and Rous might be on his way to Cofidis. It’d be an interesting swap. Certainly I hope Van Londersele lands on his feet. An interesting character he didn’t escape the troubles with Cofidis but was kept in place because of a commitment to coaching riders as opposed to “doctoring” them.

5 thoughts on “Management troubles with Europcar and Cofidis?”

  1. As you certainly read, Stéphane Augé stops is cycling carrer to remplace Van Londersele.

    Rous also in Cofidis ? Why not ! Bernard Quilfen is not youth and he still work with Cofidis but less days than others years.

  2. The Direct 8 doc on the TDF was interesting inasmuch as it showed a team talk by Van Londersele in the Cofidis bus..and the riders were obviously not listening….

  3. Biarnes: Rous seems ambitious but maybe he needs to spend more time learning sports science etc.

    Vendeeu: I saw that but it's common in the morning, these guys are tired and know what they have to do. That said if I was running a team then every rider would be instructed to sit bolt upright and pay attention when the boss speaks.

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