Kevin Geniets - The life of a pro
For the second year in a row, we were lucky enough to welcome Kevin Geniets to the Clubhouse!
During the evening, Kevin, a rider with Groupama-FDJ, reflected on his eventful 2024 season and looked ahead to the upcoming season. Amidst the audience's discussions, he also delved into the details of the life of a professional cyclist, with all that entails.
A look back at a unique evening!
PRESENTATION
Let's start at the beginning: introduce Kevin Geniets! Born in Luxembourg, he performed at a young age in the amateur world and was quickly spotted by AG2R La Mondiale. He notably won multiple national titles in the U23 road and U23 time trials.
A trainee with the Chambéry team, he was finally recruited at the start of 2019 by another French team, Groupama-FDJ, and made his debut in the World Tour, all at the age of 22!
He put himself to the best use in his first season as a teammate and achieved good results in one-day races. These good results and the team's trust mean that he will still be an essential part of Groupama-FDJ in 2025! With his Luxembourg champion's jersey, he will begin his 7th season in the colors of the French team in 2025.
A LOOK BACK ON A RICH 2024 SEASON AND A PROJECTION FOR 2025
The year 2024 started in the best possible way for Kevin, with a victory at the GP la Marseillaise. He set off on the Col de la Gineste, the final climb of the day, alongside his teammate.r Rémi Rochas and the Frenchman Alex Baudin, he resisted the return of the pursuers to finally win in the sprint ahead of the AG2R La Mondiale cyclist! An ideal start to the season for Kevin and Groupama-FDJ, which saw another of its riders, Laurence Pithie, win the same day on the other side of the world (Cadel Evans Ocean Race, Australia). An excellent teammate in the classics and in the mountains, Groupama-FDJ gave him his chance at the start of the year, and they did well!
After this great victory, he resumed his role as teammate to accompany his leader David Gaudu in various stage races in preparation for the Tour de France: Paris - Nice, Critérium du Dauphiné, without forgetting a new national title won in Luxembourg!
The rest of his season saw two Grand Tours in a row, the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España! A complicated Tour de France for Groupama-FDJ, where its leader was unable to compete with the best. Kevin provided relentless support throughout the three weeks, and showed up at the front on stage 20, where his national champion's jersey was seen at the front in the breakaway!
A brief rest in Annecy before lining up for a grueling Tour of Spain! Kevin told us that the series was particularly tiring, and the Spanish heat got the better of him. His season then ended with participation in the World Championships in Zurich and Paris-Tours.
For 2025, Kevin hopes to have the opportunity to seek new victories, with leader status in certain one-day races and will of course be there to support his leader David Gaudu in the best possible way in the stage races. There is a good chance that he will double up on the Giro d'Italia & Tour de France! No thanks to the Spanish heat!
THE LIFE OF A PRO
This evening was an opportunity to delve into the life of a professional cyclist. Training, nutrition, recovery, sacrifices: Kevin Geniets addressed all these topics with sincerity.
High-level cycling is more demanding than ever. Every detail counts, both during and outside of training. This constant search for marginal gains transforms not only performance, but also the daily lives of riders, as Kevin explained to us.
Let's start with the essentials: training. Most of his work involves hours spent in the saddle. The sessions, planned in advance by his trainer, vary in duration and intensity: endurance, speed, strength... No matter the weather conditions, even in the middle of winter in Haute-Savoie, Kevin must adhere to this rigorous program.
At the same time, he and his team participate in specific training sessions throughout the season. These intensive blocks, often organized in regions with milder climates such as Calpe in Spain or Tenerife, allow them to work on specific areas according to the needs of each rider.
Kevin told us about his latest training camp in Tenerife. As a climber and David Gaudu's loyal lieutenant, these altitude training sessions are crucial for optimizing endurance and stamina. Altitude improves oxygen transport capacity and increases VO2 max, essential qualities for the most demanding climbs. These camps are also an opportunity to strengthen cohesion with teammates and staff, a key factor in collective success.
To give you an idea of the investment required, a professional runner covers between 25,000 and 35,000 kilometers per year, in training and competition. Add to that weight training sessions, treatment, and long recovery periods. A fast-paced, but meticulously regulated life.
Of course, nutrition plays a central role. Kevin follows a precise diet, where each food is carefully chosen. While he can occasionally indulge in a treat, such as a dinner with friends, these moments remain rare, especially before a major competition. This dietary discipline, while essential for maintaining optimal fitness, can sometimes weigh on one's morale.
Recovery is also a pillar of performance. It often involves prioritizing restful sleep over evenings with friends. During the peak season, time spent with family and loved ones is rare, and training camps, while stimulating, can accentuate a certain feeling of loneliness.
Finally, Kevin mentioned another constraint: anti-doping controls. These require each rider to declare their place of residence daily to allow for random tests. This is an essential requirement for the integrity of the sport, but it limits spontaneity and adds additional pressure.
Despite the constraints, personal sacrifices, and total commitment this career requires, Kevin has no doubt that it's all worth it. Finding himself at the start of the biggest races, experiencing moments of euphoria with his team, pushing his limits, and representing his country on the international stage: these are all privileges that surpass the challenges of everyday life. For Kevin, every effort, every kilometer traveled, every moment of solitude finds meaning when he crosses a finish line or shares the joy of a collective victory.
This passion and determination illustrate that, in sport as in life, the greatest achievements often come from the greatest sacrifices.
As for what's next, Kevin already has some ideas, but it's still too early!
Now, it's time for 2025! The training sessions have already begun, and the first races are coming soon!
All that remains is for us to thank Kevin one last time for coming and wish him the best for this upcoming 2025 season!
And you're always welcome for your recurring coffee stops at the Clubhouse. 🤘
DID YOU KNOW?
Here are two original anecdotes that Kevin shared with us.
- Groupama-FDJ has a partnership with a mattress brand. Whether during training camps or competitions, a staff member is responsible for changing the hotel mattresses so that each rider sleeps on the same one every night.
- This same person is also responsible for cleaning each air conditioning unit, in order to reduce the risk of contamination.
When we told you that every detail counts!
