A conversation with former G4 Ambassador Stéphane Rossetto

G4 recently caught up with one of G4’s former Ambassadors, Stéphane Rossetto, who now rides for ProContinental French squad Cofidis, one of Geoffroy’s former teams.

G4: What training do you typically do in the off-season?

SR: I started training calmly after my vacation in Mauritius. I do mainly gym work, and then road and track work on the bike.

G4: I read somewhere that when you were younger you played football and swam.

SR: It’s true, and  I still enjoy swimming but, when I resume training, it’s into the gym and onto the bike. I also like doing time-trial training during the winter.

G4: You were runner-up in this year’s French time-trial championships and it was a great shame you were injured in a fall in the Vuelta a Espana (stage 19) which prevented you from taking part in the UCI Road World Championships in Richmond.

SR: Exactly! Unfortunately, that’s the bike for you!

G4: You were among the top 20 on general classification in the Vuelta when you fell?

SR: Yes, it was my first Vuelta and my first grand tour. At the start it was something for me to discover and then, in the end, I really enjoyed it. It was the type of parcours I really like and which suits me as a rider. I tried for a good overall placing which gave me confidence and I proved to myself that I was capable of a good result, even if it was only 18th. It wasn’t the top five or even the top 10, but not too bad for my first attempt.

In future grand tours, I’ll aim for more. Why not the top 10? Though it will, of course, depend upon my role in the team. To be honest, it’s probably better to go for a stage win. If you’re well placed on GC you’re not allowed to get in a break. It’s a difficult scenario to manage. We’ll have to see what happens in future grand tours, like the Tour de France.

G4: I think you’ll find more pressure at the Tour than the Vuelta. Despite an overall easier parcours, the sheer scale of the Tour makes it tougher mentally than the Giro or Vuelta, particularly if you’re French.

SR: I agree. I reckon there’s three times the pressure, because there’s three times the number of spectators.

G4: That’s why I like the Vuelta. It’s more fan-accessible, there’s a more relaxed atmosphere, and there’s less stress for everyone, except maybe the Spanish teams.

SR: True, but the Tour is the biggest race and it’s every rider’s dream to take part in it. So, for me, doing the Vuelta beforehand has been good training.

G4: Yes, the three-week grand tours are unique. There’s nothing else to compare with them. How did you cope?

SR: I found I felt tired after a week and a half but then I got a second wind and I finished feeling much stronger than when I started. Probably my age is a bit of an advantage as I’ve developed more endurance than when I was younger, and more experience to manage those efforts.

I felt much better at the end after the nervous energy at the start dissipated. Of course, concentrating from start to finish on every stage when you’re fighting for GC is mentally tiring, but physically I felt really well until my fall on the 19th stage. After this experience, I know I’ll be stronger next year.

G4: You’ve had a more atypical trajectory than some in the professional peloton. In 2010 you rode ProContinental with Vacansoleil and then dropped back down to your previous French division one club before joining Big Mat Auber (Continental) in 2013 and then Cofidis at the start of 2015.

SR: For me it’s been all about motivation and morale. It often happens that if you turn in a few good results as a youngster you’ll get a berth in a WorldTour or ProContinental squad but there’s a world of difference in terms of what’s expected of you. It’s true; I never had that big leap forward. I did it step by step or maybe one step forward and two steps back. It was only in the Continental team [Big Mat] that I began to record good results, win more important races and that opened the doors for me at Cofidis. At the end of the day, it’s all about success.  Everything I’ve achieved on the bike has been thanks to my results.

G4: And you’ve continued to progress this year with plenty of top five placings. Cofidis have renewed your contract for another two years?

12 places dans le Top 10 en 2015, Stéphane Rossetto a aussi été sacré vice-champion de France du contre-la-montre !

— Team COFIDIS (@TeamCOFIDIS) 19 Novembre 2015

SR: Yes, it’s my very first two-year contract. There are only annual contracts in Continental teams. This will allow me to consolidate my development. I can perform next year with a bit more serenity.

G4: What are you aiming for next season?

SR: The French Championships in both disciplines (laugh). Next year it’s a tough parcours which suits riders like me, rather than the sprinters. It’s a harder route than it has been for a few years. I’d like to progress from second to first in the time-trial and then win the road race. That’s my big objective for next year.  Obviously, I’d also like to win a race and be in contention for the Cofidis squad in a grand tour. Just like this year, though hopefully in the Tour de France, where I can continue my progression. But if I had to choose one, it would be in the French championships.

G4: While Cofidis isn’t a WorldTour team, it always gets wild cards to the Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana and other WorldTour races such as Paris-Nice and the Dauphiné.

SR: Ah, the Dauphiné, that’s another race I really like. June’s probably my favourite month of the year with the Route du Sud, the Dauphiné and the French national championships. It’s a time every year when I really ride well.

Of course, next year there’s also the Olympics in Rio. But it’s very difficult to get onto the team and we’ll have to wait for the announcement of the team selection which will probably favour those who have performed well in the Giro and Tour.  I’ll have to ride exceptionally well to be in contention for a place.

Mind you, it’s a bit far off. I don’t yet know my entire programme for next year but it’s likely to include the Ardennes Classics, and stage races such as Paris-Nice and Tour of the Basque Country.

G4:  You know that last race is one of my favourite races?

SR: Me too! I hope the weather will be fine again like this year. It makes such a big difference. There are plenty of races but my participation in the Tour and Vuelta ultimately depend on team strategy.

G4: Is it an advantage having such a big name rider like Nacer [Bouhanni] in the team? I assume you can stay under the radar as he tends to attract all the media pressure.

SR: Yes, that’s true and, if I’m at the Tour [de France], I’ll play a supporting role for him since he’s our number one leader. It’s only to be expected.

G4: And Nacer’s brother will also be on the team next year?

SR: He’s a classy rider, a totally different type of rider to his brother. They don’t even look like brothers and have totally different temperaments, although they’re close. I’m sure the younger one will also be a good rider.

G4: There’s a good group of riders at Cofidis. I know some of them, like Rudy Molard who lives nearby.

SR: He’s a great rider and he’s been very helpful to me. When we’ve ridden together I’ve taken note of his positioning and tried to follow him. He’s younger than me but has more experience at the higher level. We often share a room at the races. He’s a really nice guy. Of course, he’s not the only one. There’s plenty of others in the team where we have a very convivial atmosphere. It’s important because we spend so much time with one another.  I don’t mind who I share [a room] with as we all get on well together. And that’s important. We need to present a united front at races. We always have a great team spirit and we’re always happy when one or other of us does well.

G4: French teams seem to have a good esprit de corps.

SR: I think it’s all down to our more recent success at the races. Plus, it’s natural that the riders who are together at those races have the same spirit and feeling. Of course, it helps that you’re mostly riding with guys you’ve grown up with and know well.

G4: How do you know G4’s Geoffroy and Petra?

SR: I grew up not far from Geoffroy and we have a friend in common called Matthieu Converset (one of our current G4 Ambassadors – Ed). We rode together in the French espoirs; I’ve known him for more than 10 years. His older sister lives in Nice and I met up with Geoffroy when we were training there one winter. I met Geoffroy again when he was riding with Agritubel and we stayed in contact.

I became an Ambassador for the brand while I was at Big Mat and rode in G4 socks bearing my name; their energy socks are the best. Geoffroy now gives me socks without the G4 logo so that I can use them at Cofidis. The energy socks have some compression and they’re my favourite all-year-round socks – so comfortable.  Of course, G4’s casual and cycle clothing are also fantastic. Geoffroy keeps progressing the collection in terms of the materials used – they’re all superb designs of great quality.

I really like clothes; I like to be well dressed both on and off the bike.

G4: When you know you look good, you feel and perform better.

SR: Exactly! Of course, I spend most of my time in team racing kit or casual wear. Irrespective of its quality, I have to wear it.

G4: How do you manage to maintain your racing weight?

SR: After the season has gotten underway, I quickly resume my racing weight and can easily maintain it. I usually start the season a few kilos above my ideal weight but I follow a sensible regimen, nothing special.

G4: You have a chef at Cofidis?

SR: Yes, for the grand tours and other big stages races, such as Paris-Nice. It’s a major advantage for the riders and gives us something to look forward to after the race. Our chef is Belgian and he’s very good. It’s very important that we have someone to prepare us tasty meals every evening and he’s always available. I don’t like cheese and so he does things specially for me. Also, I often eat rice, rather than pasta, which is too well cooked in French hotels for my liking. I’m of Italian extraction and like my pasta al dente. Nutrition is as important to us as training. We’re like high-performance cars. It also helps the morale and gives us something to look forward to when we relax over dinner.  A good chef makes it all more pleasurable. He’s indispensable.

G4: What for you has been the biggest difference between Conti and ProConti teams?

SR: Aside from the chef, it’s the logistics. Of course, it’s all down to money. The more money you have the more comfortable the trips to the races. Technical things also tend to be better because there’s double the number of personnel, again thanks to money. Otherwise it’s pretty similar.

G4: Do you a few words of encouragement for those riders in Conti teams who have ambitions to progress further?

SR: You have to work, that’s the only way. Work hard throughout the season, get results. If you trade on contacts, it won’t work without the performance. So, never give up. There are no gifts at this level. Also, you need a helping hand from friends but it will only work out if you have the results.

G4: Wise words! Thanks for your time Stéphane and good luck for next season.