After five years spent at Sojasun, folder by the end of 2013, Julien Simon is looking to kick-off strongly his 2014 season at GP Marseillaise coming Sunday, in the new Cofidis outfit, as he followed his several team-mates while joining the French Pro Continental squad.

The 28-year old French rider has a season to forget in 2013, as he finished the year winless staying concentrated mainly on finding himself a new team after it became clear, that his former team – Sojasun, will no longer exist when the year comes to an end.

However, Simon had shown his power and ability to claim victories one season earlier in 2012, ended up with five professional wins added to his palmares – GP the Wallonnie and two stages at Volta a Catalunya among others, and could expect that some reasonable offers from World Tour teams would arrive.

Indeed, the Frenchman met some interest from the World Tour teams, but eventually decided to follow four of his fellow team-mates to Pro Continental Cofidis. Signing Simon should be considered an important strengthening of their roster and raise some hopes for claiming some significant victories in 2014, since those wins they managed to snatch last year – in the total number of 10 – were all taken in the races of a lower than the World Tour level.

After an uneasy 2013 year Simon has found the right motivation to prepare well for 2014, should he be able to perform on a satisfying level from its beginning, what particularly means for him the official kick-off of the French racing season at the GP Marseillaise next Sunday.

"If I look at the figures, I'm doing very well with my weight and everything looks good in terms of power output as well, which is a good sign. I want to celebrate a victory as quick as I can. My first peak in form is going to come very soon, from mid-February on, so I can't wait to get going," he told Velochrono.fr.

His previous winter break has been spoiled by the first rumors circulating about his former team Sojasun being on the verge of closure, what casted a shadow on his whole season and never let the Frenchman to hit the top disposition.

"It needs everything to fall into place for me to have a really good year. But if I do get on an upward spiral and in so doing I can boost the team's drive for victories then so much the better," said Simon, who admits Cofidis' bosses have signed him to win races.

"The good thing is that Cofidis are guaranteed entry to some good WorldTour races right through the season."

While it has been confirmed that Cofidis would participate in some major races of the 2014 racing calendar, including Paris-Nice, Critérium du Dauphiné and the Tour de France, Simon is eager to regain his form from 2012 and provide the new team with victories as it is expected.

"The end was very difficult with Sojasun, although I've got plenty of good memories of the time I spent there, but I want to regain the level I had in 2012, when I achieved so much. I was really knocked back by events in 2013 and needed to recover from that a bit. But now I'm keen to get my season going with Cofidis. I feel really motivated once again."