The teams bid for him and got a dream contract. The star signing that almost did not run in two years
Your remembered 2023
“The goal is to win races. It is clear that there was a lot of frustration last year, but I kept positive and I told myself that this was going to work, that the problem was going to be solved. I finished 2024 in a good way so I hope to return with confidence,” he synthesized Victor Lafay (Decathlon) his start of the season. However, for French, things did not go as I expected. But … Who is Victor Lafay? Remembered was the beginning of the Tour de France 2023 in the Basque Country. In the first stage he was the only one to be able to follow Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard and even encouraged them to attack them.
On the second day, a surprise attack in the last kilometer left Wout van Aert, who had marked the day of San Sebastián. These performances- which cut a very long drought of Cofidis in the tour- even accusations of doping.
Puja for a millionaire signing
Lafay had become a true star. That led to a war between teams to get his signing, from which Decathlon was victorious. Lafay came as a ring to the finger, with a contract that- according to it- reaches the 7 figures.
However, things did not go as expected and the French disappeared from the radar. The knee problems impacted him fully, and could only compete 36 days last year, debuting in July during the L´Ain Tour. Subsequently, I am part of Ben O’Connor’s support train on his successful podium of the Tour of Spain. After an outstanding third place in the Classic Var, Lafay participated this year in Alpes-Maritimes, Milano-San Remo and Itzulia, a race he left in the third stage. There were only seven days of competition. Since then there was no news, until Decathlon confirmed today that persistent problems in the knee unfortunately returned.
Again injured
The 29 -year -old cyclist underwent a surgical intervention on Monday that will force him to rest for a month before resuming training and will keep him away from the races until August, thus losing the Tour de France for the second consecutive year and much of the season.
Last year, Lafay specified to L´Equipe that it was a painful condition in the “Rotula that brushed with the femur.” “In mid -January, I felt pain in the left knee while riding,” he said. “We immediately understood that I was in the kneecap and femur, but it took us a long time to find the cause and the solution. We did not know if it was a muscular imbalance or if we needed to strengthen it.” After which, he indicated that he found a method of treatment with stretching and paragraphs.
For Lafay this was a key year because his link with Decathlon expires at the end of the season. Neither for the corridor nor for the team things turned out as they wanted. The danger of signing in the heat of the moment, after the popularity of a singlar feat in the tour.
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