France’s ProTeam opens season with Australia’s WorldTour race
AG2R La Mondiale announced today its seven-man roster for the Tour Down Under race in Australia, January 16 to 23. The French team is the only team to have competed in all 12 editions of the race, winning four times.
For the 13th edition, France’s only first division ProTeam sends Dimitri Champion (France), Kristof Goddaert (Belgium), Steve Houanard (France), Julien Loubet (France), Blel Kadri (France), Yuriy Krivtsov (Ukraine) and Mathieu Perget (France). Kadri, Krivtsov and Perget competed last year; Perget racing for team Caisse d’Epargne earned the highest placing, 56th.
Perget replaced Frenchman Mikael Cherel from the team’s original roster that the Tour Down Under organisers announced last month.
Swiss Martin Elmiger won the race for AG2R in 2007 and last year finished 16th overall behind winner André Greipel of team HTC. Greipel returns this year to lead Omega Pharma in what will be a sprint showdown with former team-mate, Mark Cavendish.
Elmiger will start his season later in the year at the French stage race, Etoile de Bessèges, February 2 to 6.
Besides Elmiger’s win in 2007, the team won three other times. Home rider Simon Gerrans won in 2006, Spaniard Mikel Astarloza in 2003 and in 2000, the race’s second year, Frenchman Gilles Maignan won.
“We are delighted that a high calibre team like AG2R La Mondiale is making its way back to Adelaide,” said Race Director Mike Turtur last month. “They’ve got an impressive record, having produced the most overall winners of the race.”
Last year, AG2R won the team’s classification.
Besides the return of AG2R and the Cavendish-Greipel sprint showdown, the Tour Down Under will be Lance Armstrong’s final race outside the USA. He will represent RadioShack with Aussie sprinter Robbie McEwen. The race will boast five former winners: Greipel, Stuart O’Grady (Leopard), Allan Davis (Astana), Gerrans and Michael Rogers (both Sky).
The race kicks off on January 16 with a criterium and continues with the stage race on two days later, January 18.
Past winners:
1999 Stuart O’Grady (AUS) Crédit Agricole
2000 Gilles Maignan (FRA) AG2R Prévoyance
2001 Stuart O’Grady (AUS) Crédit Agricole
2002 Michael Rogers (AUS) Australian Institute of Sport
2003 Mikel Astarloza (ESP) AG2R Prévoyance
2004 Patrick Jonker (AUS) UniSA
2005 Luis León Sánchez (ESP) Liberty Seguros-Würth
2006 Simon Gerrans (AUS) AG2R Prévoyance
2007 Martin Elmiger (SUI) AG2R Prévoyance
2008 André Greipel (GER) Team High Road
2009 Allan Davis (AUS) Quick Step
2010 André Greipel (GER) Team HTC-Columbia