The Tour de France has always been a showcase for cycling’s most elite squads, a proving ground where ambitions are realized, reputations forged—or in some cases, dismantled. In the 2025 edition, while the general classification contenders and marquee sprinters command headlines, another group of teams is drawing a different kind of attention: those languishing at the bottom of the UCI WorldTour rankings. Far from glory, these teams face far more existential questions. For them, the Tour is not only about stages or survival in the race, but survival in the sport itself.
Among the 23 teams contesting this year’s Grand Boucle, including all 18 WorldTour squads and several invited ProTeams, a clear divide is emerging. At the heart of that lower echelon are Cofidis and Arkéa-B&B Hotels, squads with rich histories but increasingly uncertain futures. They stand as emblematic cases of the broader challenges afflicting the sport’s middle tier—struggles with sponsorship, inconsistent results, and the relentless pressure of the UCI points system that governs WorldTour participation.
Understanding the Metrics Behind the Struggles
Defining the worst-performing WorldTour teams is not a subjective matter but one driven by hard data. The UCI World Ranking, updated regularly and reflecting performances across all disciplines and categories, offers a transparent framework for comparison. Equally important is the three-year cumulative points system, which determines a team’s eligibility to remain in—or be promoted to—the WorldTour level. As of June 26, 2025, this metric has become critical, with the threat of relegation looming for several squads based on their cumulative results from 2023 through 2025.
Overlaying these numbers is a less quantifiable but equally important metric: organizational stability. Financial solvency, strategic coherence, and the ability to attract and retain talent all feed into a team’s performance trajectory. And in this realm, both Cofidis and Arkéa-B&B Hotels are showing alarming signs of decline.
The Struggling Five
Current rankings reveal five teams that stand out for their underperformance. Intermarché-Wanty sits at 22nd place—dead last among WorldTour teams at this Tour. Despite modest high points, they’ve been unable to generate consistent results or develop a strong GC threat. Arkéa-B&B Hotels, ranked 19th, fares even worse in terms of their three-year points tally, holding the fewest among all WorldTour squads and facing an almost certain relegation. Cofidis, once a beacon of French resilience in the peloton, ranks 16th and remains firmly in the relegation zone. Team Picnic PostNL, a relatively new entrant to the WorldTour, finds itself at 17th and vulnerable due to inconsistent performances and the natural growing pains of a young roster. Jayco-AlUla, at 20th, completes the group, caught in the purgatory between struggling and surviving.
Cofidis: A Legacy in Jeopardy
For decades, Cofidis has been synonymous with French cycling. Their presence in the Tour de France has been near-constant, and while they have never dominated the race, they’ve consistently fielded charismatic riders and chased glory through breakaways and stage ambitions. However, the 2025 edition finds them in a precarious position.
Entering the Tour ranked 16th in the UCI WorldTour standings, Cofidis is within striking distance of the relegation line, trailing teams like Astana by just over 600 points. In a sport where every point counts and the margin for error is vanishingly small, this gap represents a potentially insurmountable hurdle if they fail to deliver during the Tour.
The decline in performance is stark. At this year’s Giro d’Italia, the team recorded just one moment of distinction: Milan Fretin’s second place on stage six. Beyond that, their presence was negligible. In the French domestic calendar, while rivals scored 700–1,000 points in May, Cofidis earned just over 400—a signal of both tactical and athletic deficiencies.
Underlying this performance issue is a troubling lack of depth. The team’s reliance on Alex Aranburu and Milan Fretin places immense pressure on a few individuals. Without a sprinter or a GC contender capable of regularly collecting points, Cofidis appears structurally underpowered.
Their recent history is not encouraging. In 2024, Cofidis endured its worst season since 2020, securing just five wins. That poor campaign set the tone for 2025. Without a remarkable turnaround in the Tour, the team could face the drop and an uncertain future.
Arkéa-B&B Hotels: The Collapse of an Ambition
If Cofidis represents a slow decline, Arkéa-B&B Hotels is a case of sudden implosion. Ranked 19th and owning the lowest three-year points tally among WorldTour teams at the Tour, they are on the brink.
What makes their crisis unique is the convergence of sporting failure and financial instability. Team management has acknowledged that without new sponsorship, Arkéa might not survive beyond 2025. This climate of uncertainty has triggered early rider exits and an inability to build toward the future.
Despite occasional strong showings—such as from Luca Mozzato and Kevin Vauquelin—the team’s cumulative impact has been negligible. Their points do not reflect the volume of races they’ve entered, and even a refocused calendar has failed to bring results.
Strategically disjointed and weakened by structural uncertainty, Arkéa is unable to attract or retain talent. With a 3,000-point gap to safety, their WorldTour future seems nearly impossible to rescue.
How Underperformers Reshape Race Dynamics
Despite their struggles, teams like Cofidis and Arkéa-B&B Hotels influence the Tour’s dynamics. Without obligations to protect GC riders or dominate stages, they race freely—animating breakaways and opening unpredictable narratives. Their weakness in team time trials also shifts general classification dynamics by creating larger gaps and unexpected time losses.
Cofidis in particular, backed by ASO support, ensures consistent Tour presence. This commercial aspect of participation keeps underdogs in the race, often prioritizing brand legacy over competitive standing. But it also ensures that every stage has unpredictable elements, especially in transitional terrain.
Furthermore, weaker support for leaders means these teams rarely shape the race proactively. However, this lack of coordination sometimes fosters chaos, giving opportunistic riders the chance to shine—and fans something unexpected to cheer for.
Why Teams Sink: Beyond the Race
A team’s downfall rarely results from a single flaw. It is the result of converging issues: lack of top talent, mismanagement, financial insecurity, and bad luck. Teams like Cofidis lack reliable scorers. Arkéa suffers from an unsustainable financial model. Injuries, tactical conservatism, and leadership changes exacerbate problems, and in a hyper-competitive WorldTour ecosystem, recovery is far from guaranteed.
Conclusion: The Race for Survival
While they may not feature in the yellow jersey debate, the fate of the Tour de France 2025 outsiders—particularly Cofidis and Arkéa-B&B Hotels—adds a compelling subplot to this year’s race. For these teams, the Tour is no longer about victories but about salvaging their status and existence.
Their continued struggles highlight how fragile success can be in cycling. In a landscape governed by points, budgets, and structure, once-prominent teams can vanish if they lose footing. Still, their presence ensures that the Tour remains rich, varied, and unpredictable—offering fans not just triumph, but tension and transformation.
Loweest UCI Ranked Pro Teams: Summary Table
| Team | UCI Rank | 3-Year Points | Relegation Risk | Key Issues |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intermarché-Wanty | 22 | 24,467 | High | Low GC impact, few stage results |
| Arkéa-B&B Hotels | 19 | 20,430 | Very High | Financial crisis, no depth, key rider loss |
| Cofidis | 16 | 23,211 | High | Weak results, thin roster, relegation zone |
| Team Picnic PostNL | 17 | 23,563 | Moderate/High | New WorldTour team, still building depth |
| Jayco-AlUla | 20 | 25,776 | Moderate | Inconsistent results, few major successes |
As the 2025 Tour de France rolls on, keep an eye on the back of the pack. That’s where some of the most consequential battles in cycling are being fought—and where the sport’s future may very well be decided.