“If you had told me this a few months ago, I wouldn’t have believed it”, Laporte said in October after securing the overall win at the Tour of Holland. “Personally, it was extremely important for me to return to a high level at the end of the season and head into the winter period with confidence. I didn’t want to constantly wonder whether I would ever be able to get back to my old level.”

“Now I’m convinced that I can”, Laporte continues. “Next season, I want to be the best version of myself again. I feel good, actually better than I expected. During my vacation, I put the bike aside for three weeks and then happily started training again. Mentally, I’m fully recharged.”

The situation was very different a year earlier. Medical tests in January revealed that Laporte was suffering from the cytomegalovirus. He missed the entire spring and did not race a single Grand Tour in 2025. “After riding the Tour de France ten years in a row, suddenly having to watch the race from the couch was a very strange experience.”

Next summer is set to mark Laporte’s eleventh start at the Tour de France. “As a French rider, the Tour de France is incredibly special, one of the most beautiful races of the year. I’m really looking forward to racing there again. As a team, we have a big goal: to win the Tour again with Jonas. I want to play my part in that.”

In addition to the Tour de France, the 33-year-old rider has more big plans for the new cycling year. “As a team, we need to be at our best in the spring. Over the past two years, I wasn’t fit and largely had to skip most of the spring season. My goal now is to be in perfect shape again and to fight for victories with the team.”

“And especially in the biggest classics: Milan-Sanremo, the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix”, Laporte lists. “But actually, every spring classic is a major race in my mind. Wherever we line up, we have to be racing for the win.”

Laporte already has April 12, 2026 circled in red on his calendar. “I would love to win Paris–Roubaix one day. That’s my dream. Winning it as a French rider on home soil would be incredible. Of course, that race also requires a lot of luck. Hopefully this year will be our team’s day.”

“Personally, I just want to enjoy cycling again and be able to race as I used to. I feel like I’m still improving. My level at the end of the season was already quite strong, and I’m holding on to that feeling during the training camps now. As a team, we want to win the biggest races. To do that, I need to be at my very best in 2026”, Laporte concludes.