Bet on Cycling

Ag2r La Mondiale is the only French UCI ProTeam in 2011 but will be proud to fly the flag for France at races on the UCI WorldTour calendar.

In 2010 the team had another successful season, scoring important victories but also by being protagonists in major races throughout the year.

Nicolas Roche finished fifteenth overall in the Tour de France and then seventh at the Vuelta a España, confirming his excellent temperament for grand tours and other stage races. The Irishman is not a natural climber but his determination and all-around ability make him fascinating to watch as he fights day after day.

Christophe Riblon gave Ag2r La Mondiale a stage victory at the Tour de France in Ax 3 Domaines and is also a key member of the team. The stage was a testing day in the Pyrenees but Riblon was in the key breakaway and then made an incredible solo effort. John Gadret also impressed in stage races, finishing 13th in the Giro d’Italia and 17th in the Tour de France.

Team Manager Vincent Lavenu has again carefully constructed his squad for 2011. Rene Mandri, Nicolas Rousseau, Gatis Smukulis and Ludovic Turpin are no longer in the team but new signings include Romain Lemarchand, Sébastien Minard, former mountain bike racer Jean-Christophe Peraud and Italy’s Matteo Montaguti.

“We’re really proud to have been selected as part of the first division, as part of the elite of cycling,” Lavenu said. “It would have been difficult to accept if we had not made it because we had such a good season in 2010. We might feel a little lonely as the only French team in the biggest races but we’ll fight to defend our values and stay at the highest level of the sport.”