Team AG2R- La Mondiale
 | Team Name: Ag2r – La Mondiale Country: France Team Website: www.ag2rlamondiale-cyclisme.com 2009 Roster: 30 riders Bikes Used: BH Bicycles |
2008 HighlightsStage wins in the Tour de France, Criterium du Dauphiné Libéré, Vuelta a España, Ronde de l'Isard, Tour de Picardie and Tour de l’Ain. Riders finished first overall in the GP du Canton d’Argovie and GP de Lugano.About Team Ag2r – La MondialeAg2r – La Mondiale, directed by Vincent Lavenu, is sure to be a notable addition to the 2009 Amgen Tour of California ProTour team list. Though they represent 11 nationalities, they are a French team with French sponsors, so this squad tends to focus on the Tour de France and other important French races, such as the Dauphiné Libéré, which is raced in the region of Chambery (the company and the team's base). This being said, their ProTour status allows for high expectations in any major stage race, and the Amgen Tour of California is no exception.They’ve begun the 2009 season with a few new key riders, including the versatile Alexander Efimkin, formerly a Quick Step rider, who’s twin brother Vladimir is already on the team. The Russian is 26 years-old with four professional victories already to his name and a top ten finish at Paris-Nice. Also new to the team are Sébastien Hinault, who won a stage at the Vuelta a España for his former rival team, Credit Agricole; and French rider Blel Kadri, who won a stage and took second overall at the Ronde de l'Isard last season. They have three returning leaders for the 2009 season: Cyril Dessel, Tadej Valjavec and Vladimir Efimkin; but team management plans to give other up-and-coming riders a chance in the leader’s role as well. Additionally, talented team members have returned to the racing scene after injury plagued their 2008 season, including: Ludovic Turpin, René Mandri and Yuriy Krivtsov. For many years, the well-rounded Ag2r – La Mondiale organization has asserted that their goal is not to have a single leader, but to have a complete team with riders who can all claim victories. The team’s title sponsors are the Ag2r Group, which is a French-based inter-professional insurance and supplementary retirement fund group; and the La Mondiale Group, which is a French-based international group for supplementary pension and estate planning insurance. |
