FDJ secure sponsorship for a further two years

FDJ have secured sponsorship for a further two years through to 2018 from their long-term backers of the same name.

The French national lottery, Française des Jeux have supported the team for almost 20 years, having began life with the squad in 1997.

>>> Could France lose another home Tour contender to a foreign team?

The WorldTour team announced the news at a presentation on Thursday in Paris, where manager Mark Madiot presented his riders outlined the team's aims for the coming 2016 season.

Those ambitions included seeing Thibaut Pinot have a successful Tour de France, with the French rider saying that a stage and a place in the top five in general classification would be ideal. The 25-year-old will also be looking for success on a hilly road race course at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

Watch: Thibaut Pinot win on Alpe d'Huez in the 2015 Tour de France

Madiot also said he wanted to see Arnaud Démare, the team's sprinter back to "number one" in France, suggesting that the World Championships road race in Qatar in October could suit the 24-year-old.

Démare took only two professional wins in the 2015 season, both at the Tour of Belgium, while the team's highlight of last season surely came through Pinot, who rescued a disastrous Tour de France by taking a sensational victory on the summit finish to Alpe d'Huez.

Pinot, who said earlier this week he would not rule out leaving FDJ at the end of his current copntract, will likely be supported through this year's Tour by new signing Sebastian Reichenbach from IAM Cycling.

The team have also added highly rated young Norweigian rider Odd Christian Eiking to their line-up for the next two years.