TotalEnergies will have a new general manager for 2026 after all, as former Lotto manager Stéphane Heulot will join to take up the position.
The French squad had been set for a backroom shakeup next season, with reports last month suggesting that veteran team boss Jean-René Bernaudeau would be stepping down after 26 seasons in charge and Heulot taking up the leadership position.
However, the ProTeam were quick to deny such reports, instead confirming that Bernaudeau would be staying on at the team he founded in 2000.
In an interview with Ouest-France on Monday, Bernaudeau confirmed the new-look setup, which will see him remain as TotalEnergies CEO. At the same time, Heulot, who recently departed Belgian squad Lotto, will come on board as general manager.
"Stéphane and I have a development project in mind, one that's very much in line with current trends, because today we need to grow and attract new talent. Stéphane will be joining the organisation in January to ensure the team's continued success and growth," Bernaudeau said, while confirming that his CEO role will allow him to step back a little from everyday tasks at the team.
"My life has been a bit complicated for the past five years; I had to deal with my divorce. I couldn't show it. But today my life is good," he said.
"I want to enjoy myself a little now, not always be so focused on the immediate task at hand. I'll remain at the helm, because the team belongs to me; I'm the CEO of the company. Stéphane will develop it as general manager."
Bernaudeau said that Heulot is a "natural" fit for the team, noting that he and his new general manager "met and shared the same values".
He confirmed that the big battle facing the team next season will be working to secure the team's future with TotalEnergies set to depart as title sponsor at the end of the upcoming season.
Bernaudeau has led the team through various guises, with Brioches La Boulangère, Bouygues Telecom, and Europcar all previously sponsoring the squad. Bringing a new title sponsor on board will be the focus for 2026.
"We want to ensure the long-term viability of the Vendée team. Unfortunately, I didn't get an agreement from TotalEnergies to continue beyond next season, so we needed fresh energy to develop the project," Bernaudeau said.
"Especially at a time when education is sorely lacking in France. We have two great stories that are quite similar. What really appealed to me was when Stéphane told me, 'I often copied what you did. I wanted to do what you did, I was generous like you.'
"We did it with our entrepreneurial spirit. We took financial risks. We built companies."
