French rider leaves Cofidis for American team on two-year contract
Tony Gallopin will be leaving his current Cofidis team at the end of the season and joining RadioShack on a two-year contract, the French Cycling Federation (FFC) reports. The 23-year-old will be joining his uncle Alain Gallopin, who is a sports director with RadioShack.
The Parisian rider has spent the past two years with Cofidis, having been with Continental team Auber 93 for the previous two. His biggest results to date have been a stage victory in the 2010 Tour de Luxembourg, as well as third place overall in this year’s edition, and victory in the 1.1-ranked Flèche d’Émeraude. He made his debut in the Tour de France last month, finishing fourth on the stage to Cap Fréhel, and eighth on the stage to Montpelier; he also featured in a number of attacks during the race, and finished in 79th overall.
Tony is the son of Joël Gallopin, the eldest of three brothers who were all professional cyclists in the seventies and eighties. Middle brother Guy was by far the most accomplished of the three, although Alain’s career was cut short by serious injury.