Benoît Cosnefroy: Disappointing 2023 Season
French cyclist Benoît Cosnefroy has described his 2023 season as “disappointing” and “underwhelming” in a recent interview.
The AG2R Citroën Team rider had a strong start to the year, winning the Trofeo Laigueglia in February and finishing second in the Strade Bianche in March. However, he struggled to maintain his form throughout the season, and failed to achieve any further notable results.
Cosnefroy believes that his lack of success this year was due to a combination of factors, including illness, injuries, and a lack of motivation. He also admitted that he had not been able to adapt to the new UCI WorldTour calendar, which was introduced in 2023.
The 26-year-old is now looking to bounce back in 2024. He has already started training for the new season, and is determined to return to his best form. He is particularly targeting the Ardennes Classics, which he believes are the races that best suit his strengths.
Detailed summary of Cosnefroy’s interview
Cosnefroy began his interview by acknowledging that his 2023 season had been “disappointing”. He said that he had hoped to achieve more, and that he had fallen short of his own expectations.
The Frenchman’s season started well, with victory in the Trofeo Laigueglia and second place in the Strade Bianche. However, he then suffered a series of illnesses and injuries, which disrupted his training and racing schedule.
He also admitted that he had struggled to adapt to the new UCI WorldTour calendar. He said that the new calendar was more demanding, and that he had found it difficult to recover from the major races.
“I think the new calendar is too demanding,” Cosnefroy said. “There are too many races, and it’s difficult to recover from the big ones. I think it’s important for riders to have some time off during the season, so that they can come back fresh for the major races.”
He also said that he had lacked motivation at times during the season. He said that he had found it difficult to get fired up for some of the races, and that this had affected his performance.
“I think I lacked motivation at times this season,” Cosnefroy said. “I’m not sure why, but I just didn’t have the same desire to win as I have in previous years.”
Despite his disappointing season, he is confident that he can bounce back in 2024. He has already started training for the new season, and is determined to return to his best form.
“I’m already looking forward to 2024,” Cosnefroy said. “I’ve started training hard, and I’m determined to come back stronger. I’m particularly targeting the Ardennes Classics. I think those races are the ones that best suit my strengths.”
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