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Competition Profile: AG2R LA MONDIALE 2008




Description
Written by Wicky (2008-04-11 10:17)
Translated by Lord Blackadder (2008-04-11 10:17)

AG2R takes pride in being the most popular team in France. That’s hard to measure of course, but based on the results they are a likely candidate for the title of best performing team in the country. For two years in a row team manager Vincent Lavenu has made some very clever transfers. The cooperation with La Mondiale helped a lot with that, but again the Frenchman has managed to create a team with possibilities on every terrain.


It’s not likely that the Tour winner 2008 will be amongst them, or Vladimir Efimkin must have a big surprise for us. The Russian rider was really looking for a role as captain, which was not an option at his former team of Caisse d’Epargne. The Slovene Valjavec, although a few years older, chose the same option. Both riders will now be able to go their own way in the Tour de France. With Arrieta, Dessel, Calzati, Goubert and Usov or Mondory the squad is already almost complete for July.


The insurance company didn’t only buy captains. Edaleine, a useful team mate for flat and hilly terrain came from Credit Agricole. Neo’s Senac and Pineau have been contracted to ensure the French future, although they are not nearly as good as Pliushin and Kangert. Stijn Vandenbergh was known as very talented for the Belgian spring races, but due to various circumstances he hasn’t been able to fulfil that promise yet.


With the addition of new riders, others had to be discharged. David Navas left the team for unknown whereabouts en Carl Naibo, who used to be considered as a talent, left for the small team of Differdange. In the traditional trade amongst the French teams Dumoulin went to Cofidis, Gerrans to Credit Agricole and Christophe Moreau once again felt underappreciated, so he chose for the better contract at Agritubel.


In the ‘eighties’ category, AG2R has a good life insurance with Pliushin, Mandri, Efimkin, Kangert and Deignan. Now that Nocentini finally seems to fulfil his promise as a classics- and general classification specialist with some excellent results this spring, and the reliability of Elmiger, Usov and an injury-free Gadret, there’s a good chance that we will see a lot of the blue-white from their sponsor in the head of the races this year. Although the Protour might be nearly deceased, AG2R proves for the second year in a row that they definitely earned their ticket.


In
Christophe Edaleine (Crédit Agricole), Vladimir Efimkin (Caisse d'Epargne), Tanel Kangert, Aleksandr Pliushin, Jean-Charles Senac (neo), Cédric Pineau (Roubaix Lille Métropole), Tadej Valjavec (Lampre-Fondital), Stijn Vandenbergh (Unibet.com)


Out
Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis), Simon Gerrans (Crédit Agricole), Christophe Moreau (Agritubel), Carl Naibo (Differdange - Apiflo Vacances), David Navas (retired)

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