Intermarché-Wanty welcomes a new climber-puncher in the team with 24-year-old Frenchman Louis Barré, who has signed with the World Team for the next two seasons.
Louis Barré, who developed through he youth categories with team Nantes-Atlantiques, never ceased to make progression since joining the professional peloton. In August 2022, while still a trainee with Arkéa – B&B Hotels, he revealed himself as Warren Barguil’s best teammate in the Tour of Lombardy and the challenging Classics of Québec and Montreal.
Since the youth categories, the rider from Nantes has stood out among the best as soon as the road went uphill, as evidenced by his fourth place in Liège-Bastogne-Liège U23 or his seventh place in the 2021 European U23 Championships, on the difficult Trento circuit with the French national team alongside his future teammate Hugo Page.
In his first season as a neopro in 2023, he asserted himself with an offensive temperament and achieved personal results, including a podium in the Route Adélie de Vitré (3rd) and a sixth place overall in the Tour of Guangxi, his first top 10 in a World Tour event.
This season, he confirmed his progress by multiplying placings in hilly races such as the Giro dell’Appennino (6th), the Trofeo Laigueglia (7th), the Tour de Wallonie (12th), a first top 10 in a World Tour classic in the Cadel Evans Road Race (10th) and participated in his first Grand Tour at the Giro d’Italia.
"Intermarché-Wanty has a reputation for being an ideal team for the development of young riders. I had the opportunity to talk with Hugo Page and Laurenz Rex, whom I know well, and they confirmed it was a perfect environment for a rider like me. This was a key factor in my decision to join the project. I was also attracted by the team's ambition, Aike Visbeek convinced me of the quality of the equipment and the training camps, which was better than anything I have experienced before. I am a puncher who enjoys challenging races, with short and steep climbs. That's why the Ardennes and Italian classics are my favorite playground. The Tour of Lombardy is my favorite race, the finish is simply breathtaking. With Intermarché-Wanty, my goal for the coming year is to win a race. I aspire to participate in another Grand Tour. Naturally, the Tour de France holds a special place in my heart as a French rider. But I repeat, my priority is to continue to progress and that's why I chose for Intermarché-Wanty."
Louis Barré Tweet
"With Louis, we are welcoming a young rider with great potential. He wants to learn as much as possible and become a better rider, an ambition that fits perfectly with the vision of Intermarché-Wanty. He was looking for a new environment, and during our discussions, we were quickly convinced that his personality, in terms of character and mentality, was suited to the profile we want to develop. He has faced physical setbacks in recent seasons, but he has always come back stronger. Louis is made for challenging races like hilly classics. In the future, we could consider lining him up for the Ardennes Classics. We would also like to see him perform in a Grand Tour, because I think he could play an important role in the difficult stages. Together, we will work hard to achieve these goals. Finally, I am very happy that our team continues to attract more and more talents from France. With Louis, Hugo Page and Alexy Faure-Prost, we now have a beautiful group of young particularly talented French riders with varied profiles."
Aike Visbeek (Performance Manager) Tweet