He has already proven that he can fight far beyond reason. Yaël is not just a promising cyclist improving season after season he’s also an athlete who has shown remarkable resilience in pursuing his passion. In February 2024, he suffered a particularly severe crash during the Grand Prix de la Marseillaise. At the time, Cofidis rider Axel Zingle came to his aid. Yaël sustained numerous fractures four to his spine and around ten to his face which forced him into a long and difficult rehabilitation.

Since then, he has returned to racing with the same determination, tempered by a touch more wisdom. He stood out by finishing as the 5th best young rider at the Tour des Alpes-Maritimes in February and 4th in the same classification at the Route d’Occitanie in June.

After four seasons with CIC-U Nantes, Yaël now aims to step up to the UCI World Tour and take part in its most prestigious stage races. With Cofidis, he hopes to keep progressing and put his climbing talent at the service of his leaders whenever the road begins to rise.

Yaël Joalland: “After four years at the Continental level, I naturally wanted to take the next step. I’m a pure climber I love mountainous profiles and demanding races  so of course, the idea of competing in UCI World Tour events is really exciting. I’m eager to discover new races, especially stage races like Paris–Nice, the Critérium du Dauphiné, or the Tour of the Basque Country. At first, I’m looking forward to supporting the leaders and climbers whenever needed. I want to keep progressing alongside them and, above all, give everything I have! I also want to take this important moment in my career to thank my family, friends, and everyone who has supported me along the way.”