Ag2r-La Mondiale

Ag2r-La Mondiale

Team information
UCI code	ALM
Based	France
Founded	1992 (1992)
Status	UCI ProTeam
Bicycles	Kuota
Key personnel
General manager	Vincent Lavenu
Directeur sportif	Laurent Biondi
Team name history
1992–1995 1996 1997–1999 2000–2007 2008–	Chazal Petit Casino Casino-AG2R Prévoyance AG2R Prévoyance Ag2r-La Mondiale
Current season
v · d · e

Ag2r-La Mondiale (UCI team code: ALM, formerly AG2R Prévoyance) is a French cycling team with UCI ProTour team status. Its title sponsors are the Ag2r Group, which is a French-based interprofessional 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.

History

Ag2r team photo at sign in during stage 11 of the 2006 Tour de France

In 1992 Vincent Lavenu, who had just retired from professional cycling, started a professional cycling team with Chazal as the main sponsor. Lavenu had previously organised sponsorship from Chazal of his last professional team. This sponsor stayed from 1992 to 1995. In 1996 Petit Casino, a chain of coffee shops in supermarkets took over the sponsorship of the team. At this time the team was a second division team that relied on the public to sponsor the team. The team had the saying "Petit Casino- c’est votre equipe" – it’s your team which signified this involvement of the public.^[1] In 1997 Casino, the supermarket chain that contained the coffee shops called Petit Casino, took over the sponsorship of the team and the budget increased substantially. Lavenu’s team could compete in the big races such as the classics.^[2] The team obtained successes with Alexandre Vinokourov, Jaan Kirsipuu and Lauri Aus.

The insurance company Ag2r Prevoyance took over as the main sponsor in 2000.^[3] The team obtained further successes with Laurent Brochard, Jaan Kirsipuu and Jean-Patrick Nazon. In 2006, the team joined the UCI ProTour, following the signings of big cycling names Francisco Mancebo and Christophe Moreau. Fassa Bortolo's exit from the competition had freed a licence and AG2R was the only team left vying for the license, as Comunidad Valenciana voluntarily withdrew, while the proposed new team of former Fassa Bortolo sporting director Giancarlo Ferretti turned out to be without financial backing. Ag2r obtained success in the 2006 Tour de France with a stage win by Sylvain Calzati, and a day in the maillot jaune by Cyril Dessel.

Training for the 2010 Tour de France prologue in Rotterdam

Rinaldo Nocentini took the yellow jersey after stage 7 of the 2009 Tour de France after a successful breakaway in which fellow Ag2r-La Mondiale rider Christophe Riblon also took part and earned the daily combativity award. Nocentini retained the race leadership for eight stages, and Ag2r-La Mondiale also led the team classification from stage 7 to stage 11 and for one further day after stage 14.

Major Results

2006

1st Overall Tour Down Under, Simon Gerrans

1st Stage 1, Simon Gerrans

1st Stage 6 Tour de Langkawi, Laurent Mangel

1st Overall Tour Méditerranéen, Cyril Dessel

1st Stage 4, Cyril Dessel

1st Le Samyn, Renaud Dion

1st Route Adélie de Vitré, Samuel Dumoulin

1st Stage 9 Giro d'Italia, Tomas Vaitkus

1st Stage 1 Circuit de Lorraine, Jean-Patrick Nazon

1st Stage 4 Circuit de Lorraine, Christophe Riblon

1st Stage 5 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, Ludovic Turpin

1st Stage 2 Route du Sud, Jean-Patrick Nazon

1st  Estonia Road Race Championships, Erki Pütsep

1st Stage 8 Tour de France, Sylvain Calzati

1st Overall Tour de l'Ain, Cyril Dessel

1st Stage 1, Cyril Dessel

1st Stage 19 Vuelta a España, José Luis Arrieta

1st Overall Herald Sun Tour, Simon Gerrans

2nd Overall Volta a Catalunya, Christophe Moreau

2007

1st Overall Tour Down Under, Martin Elmiger

1st Stage 4 Tour Méditerranéen, Rinaldo Nocentini

1st Stage 1 Paris-Nice, Jean-Patrick Nazon

1st GP Miguel Indurain, Rinaldo Nocentini

1st Stage 1 Circuit de Lorraine, Ludovic Turpin

1st GP de Plumelec-Morbihan, Simon Gerrans

1st GP Kanton Aargau, John Gadret

1st Overall Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, Christophe Moreau

1st Stages 2 & 4, Christophe Moreau

1st Stage 1 Route du Sud, Jean-Patrick Nazon

1st  France Road Race Championships, Christophe Moreau

1st Overall Tour de l'Ain, John Gadret

1st Stage 3, John Gadret

1st Stage 4 Tour du Limousin, Alexandre Usov

1st Tour de la Somme, Christophe Riblon

1st GP d'Isbergues, Martin Elmiger

2008

1st Stage 7 Tour de Langkawi, Alexandre Usov

1st GP di Lugano, Rinaldo Nocentini

1st Stage 5 4 Jours de Dunkerque, Cyril Dessel

1st Stage 2 Tour de Picardie, Martin Elmiger

1st Stage 3 Volta a Catalunya, Cyril Dessel

1st GP Kanton Aargau, Lloyd Mondory

1st Stage 4 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, Cyril Dessel

1st  Estonia Time Trial Championships, Tanel Kangert

1st  Moldova Road Race Championships, Alexandre Pliuschin

1st Stage 9 Tour de France, Vladimir Efimkin

1st Stage 16 Tour de France, Cyril Dessel

1st Stage 2 Paris-Corrèze, Lloyd Mondory

1st Stage 4 Tour de l'Ain, John Gadret

2nd Overall Paris-Nice, Rinaldo Nocentini

2009

1st Stage 7 Tour of California, Rinaldo Nocentini

1st Stage 1 Route du Sud, Nicolas Rousseau

1st Stage 3 Route du Sud, Christophe Riblon

1st  Ireland Road Race Championships, Nicolas Roche

1st Stage 3a Tour de l'Ain, Ludovic Turpin

2010

1st Stage 2 La Tropicale Amissa Bongo, Julien Loubet

1st Stage 3 La Tropicale Amissa Bongo, Nicolas Rousseau

1st Overall Tour Méditerranéen, Rinaldo Nocentini

1st Stage 1 Tour du Haut Var, Rinaldo Nocentini

1st Boucles du Sud Ardèche, Christophe Riblon

1st Stages 2 & 5 Circuit de la Sarthe, Anthony Ravard

1st Overall 4 Jours de Dunkerque, Martin Elmiger

1st Stage 4, Martin Elmiger

1st Stage 2a Route du Sud, Blel Kadri

1st  Switzerland Road Race Championships, Martin Elmiger

1st Stage 14 Tour de France, Christophe Riblon

1st Stage 3 Tour de Wallonie, Kristof Goddaert

1st Stage 3 Tour de l'Ain, Maxime Bouet

1st Stage 2 Tour du Poitou-Charentes, Anthony Ravard

1st Châteauroux Classic, Anthony Ravard

1st GP de la Somme, Martin Elmiger

1st Paris-Bourges, Anthony Ravard

2011

1st Overall Etoile de Bessèges, Anthony Ravard

1st Stage 2 Etoile de Bessèges, Lloyd Mondory

1st Stage 11 Giro d'Italia, John Gadret

1st Châteauroux Classic, Anthony Ravard

1st Stage 3 Tour du Poitou Charentes, Anthony Ravard

1st Stage 3 Tour of Beijing, Nicolas Roche

2011 ProTour team

As of 1 January 2011.

Rider Date of birth  Julien Bérard (FRA) July 2, 1987 (1987-07-02) (age 24)  Guillaume Bonnafond (FRA) June 23, 1987 (1987-06-23) (age 24)  Maxime Bouet (FRA) November 3, 1986 (1986-11-03) (age 25)  Dimitri Champion (FRA) September 6, 1983 (1983-09-06) (age 28)  Mickaël Cherel (FRA) March 17, 1986 (1986-03-17) (age 25)  Cyril Dessel (FRA) November 29, 1974 (1974-11-29) (age 36)  Hubert Dupont (FRA) November 13, 1980 (1980-11-13) (age 31)  Martin Elmiger (SUI) September 23, 1978 (1978-09-23) (age 33)  John Gadret (FRA) April 22, 1979 (1979-04-22) (age 32)  Ben Gastauer (LUX) November 14, 1987 (1987-11-14) (age 24)  Kristof Goddaert (BEL) November 21, 1986 (1986-11-21) (age 24)  Sébastien Hinault (FRA) February 11, 1974 (1974-02-11) (age 37)  Steve Houanard (FRA) April 2, 1986 (1986-04-02) (age 25)

Rider Date of birth  Blel Kadri (FRA) September 3, 1986 (1986-09-03) (age 25)  Yuriy Krivtsov (FRA) February 7, 1979 (1979-02-07) (age 32)  David Lelay (FRA) November 30, 1979 (1979-11-30) (age 31)  Romain Lemarchand (FRA) July 26, 1987 (1987-07-26) (age 24)  Julien Loubet (FRA) January 15, 1985 (1985-01-15) (age 26)  Sébastien Minard (FRA) June 12, 1982 (1982-06-12) (age 29)  Lloyd Mondory (FRA) April 26, 1982 (1982-04-26) (age 29)  Matteo Montaguti (ITA) January 6, 1984 (1984-01-06) (age 27)  Rinaldo Nocentini (ITA) September 25, 1977 (1977-09-25) (age 34)  Jean-Christophe Péraud (FRA) May 22, 1977 (1977-05-22) (age 34)  Mathieu Perget (FRA) September 18, 1984 (1984-09-18) (age 27)  Anthony Ravard (FRA) September 28, 1983 (1983-09-28) (age 28)  Christophe Riblon (FRA) January 17, 1981 (1981-01-17) (age 30)  Nicolas Roche (IRE) July 3, 1984 (1984-07-03) (age 27)

See also

• List of teams and cyclists in the 2008 Tour de France
• 2008 Tour de France
• Tour de France

References

1. ^ "Hung Up in Picardy, Hoping for Bigger Things". International Herald Tribune. Archived from the original on 2007-08-20. http://web.archive.org/web/20070820160247/http://www.iht.com/articles/1996/04/16/bike.t_0.php. Retrieved 2007-08-06. 
2. ^ "Cycling team rolls on to the big time". International Herald Tribune. Archived from the original on 2007-08-26. http://web.archive.org/web/20070826094736/http://www.iht.com/articles/1996/10/08/nhl.t_1.php. Retrieved 2007-08-06. 
3. ^ "Histoire de l’equipe cycliste Ag2r Prevoyance". Ag2r non official supporters. http://www.ag2r-cyclisme.com/historique.asp. Retrieved 2007-08-06. 

External links

• Official website
• UCI Team Profile
• LavenuTeams Fansite (French)
• Ag2r-La Mondiale on Facebook
• Ag2r-La Mondiale on Twitter