From Lille

Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale are on home roads at the 2025 Tour de France, which kicked off in equipment partner Van Rysel's home city of Lille

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The Van Rysel name will be easy to spot at the 2025 Tour de France courtesy of French pro team Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale, led by Austrian climber Felix Gall.

Since 2024, Lille-based Van Rysel has supplied the WorldTour squad with all its gear, from bikes and components down to helmets and sunglasses. Every aspect of the equipment provided to the team is researched and tested in collaboration with the squad's Grand Tour stars before hitting the shelves at Decathlon and Van Rysel stores.

This year's Tour de France is extra special for Van Rysel, as Lille hosted the race's Grand D Départ. Riding on home roads, Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale began the three weeks of racing just a few kilometres away from Van Rysel's HQ.

Providing a WorldTour squad with its kit from head to toe is no easy task. So what exactly does it take to support a team at the Tour de France, especially one kicking off in your backyard? Let's take a closer look.

A World Tour collaboration

'We founded Van Rysel in 2019, and our objective was to return to the WorldTour with the best bike in the bunch,' says Van Rysel's product manager, J érémie Debeuf.

This goal was achieved in 2024 when the brand partnered with French pro team Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale. During their first year together, the team scored 30 victories and finished sixth in the UCI team rankings.

'We are in contact with the team every week, whether on the phone or via video call. We try to meet them on the ground once a month to work on their gear,' Debeuf says. 'All our products - the bikes, helmets and textiles - are developed with the team. The prototypes are sent out to the riders and altered based on their feedback before the products are released to the public.'