She may well be the surprise of the current cyclocross season: Amandine Fouquenet. The French champion has regularly made her mark in the Belgian cyclocross races in recent weeks and even finished third in the World Cup in Namur on Sunday, but it's not all smooth sailing: Fouquenet is currently looking for a new team.
With Lucinda Brand and Aniek van Alphen, two expected names stood on the podium in Namur, but Fouquenet also took her place on the lowest step wearing her French tricolor jersey. It was not a new experience for the 24-year-old rider: recently, she also finished second in the Flamanville World Cup cyclocross. Earlier in the season, she secured third place in the Superprestige of Ruddervoorde.
In short, Fouquenet is making rapid progress in cyclocross, but the French rider is certainly not without concerns. She still does not have a contract for 2026, following the collapse of her current team Arkéa-B&B Hotels Women. The team decided to stop looking for a new sponsor in October, which means many riders—including Fouquenet—will have to look elsewhere.
Uncertainty
"She was already in advanced talks with a team, but that did not pan out," her coach Léonard Cosnier recently told Le Telegramme. "It's incredible that a rider of her level still hasn't found a team. If Amandine signs a contract in the coming days, I'm sure she'll bounce back."
photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
Fouquenet hopes to find a team as soon as possible because she is far from finished racing. "I really hope to find both a cyclocross and road team for 2026," she said in an interview with DirectVelo. "I’ll be 25 next year and more mature. Previously I wanted to perform well, but this year I’ve taken a mental step forward. I’m now really paying attention to my nutrition, sleep, and recovery."
However, time is running out. "Teams are almost full now, and it's no secret that many squads are dealing with limited budgets, but I’m not giving up on my search. I hope the phone will still ring."
