Exclusive interview with Sprinter Nice Métropole, a National 2 team, in the presence of general manager Jerome Pulidori, treasurer Julien Amadori, and the current Côte d’Ivoire champion Issiaka Cissé.
How do you see the end of the season? What are your ambitions?
« We are leading the National 2 rankings and our primary objective is to keep this position and also win the Coupe de France. We participate in professional races abroad, notably in Poland, Romania, Kosovo, Czech Republic, Estonia. The goal for these races is to represent the city of Nice with dignity.»
Podium of the first stage of the Coupe de France
The Tour de France started in Nice last year, has this worldwide-followed event had any positive impact on your team?
« I think so, especially in terms of reputation, as we particularly notice during our races abroad where we are directly associated with the start of the Tour.»
Do you think you have riders capable of reaching the World Tour one day?
« Yes, we’ve been working towards this since January, particularly with the restructuring of the club. The goal is to find and develop riders who can compete in the Tour de France in the future. We’re not afraid to invest in young riders, and they’ve shown results this year.»
Have you already participated in well-known races?
« Yes, the first being in Croatia, a professional competition where big names in cycling such as Julian Alaphilippe and more recently Tadej Pogacar have competed, and we achieve similar results to those riders at the same age.»
How many teams do you have?
« A Minime team, a cadet team, a Junior team, and the national team, totaling 135 licensed members.»
How does the national ranking work?
« It is based on a scale from the FFC (Fédération Française de Cyclisme) which is divided into two criteria: the level of the competition (regional, national, professional) and each rider making it into the Top 20 earns points. We are leaders in the national ranking as well as the regional and the southern regional standings. »
How do you secure funding, particularly for your travels?
« A portion of our budget, 35% to 40%, comes from local authorities and the other part comes from private partners. This year, our budget is 250k €.»
