AG2R La Mondiale (cycling team)
AG2R La Mondiale (UCI team code: ALM) is a French cycling team with UCI WorldTeam status. Its title sponsor is AG2R La Mondiale, one of the biggest French insurance firms. The team is predominantly French.
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| Team information | |
|---|---|
| UCI code | ALM |
| Registered | France |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Discipline(s) | Road |
| Status | UCI WorldTeam |
| Bicycles | Eddy Merckx Cycles |
| Components | Campagnolo |
| Website | Team home page |
| Key personnel | |
| General manager | Vincent Lavenu |
| Team manager(s) | Laurent Biondi |
| Team name history | |
1992–1995 1996 1997–1999 2000–2007 2008–2014 2015– | Chazal Petit Casino Casino–AG2R Prévoyance AG2R Prévoyance Ag2r–La Mondiale AG2R La Mondiale |
History
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 Petit Casino coffee shops, 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 Alexander 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 yellow jersey as leader of the general classification by Cyril Dessel.
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.
In 2014, the team had great results at the Tour de France, winning a stage and having Jean-Christophe Péraud taking second place in the overall classification. In October of that year, it was announced that AG2R would continue to sponsor the team through 2018,[4] at the 2016 Tour de France the sponsorship was extended a further two years - into the 2020 season.[5]
Doping
On September 21, 2012, Steve Houanard tested positive for EPO in an out-of-competition test and was provisionally suspended.[6][7][8]
On May 15, 2013, Sylvain Georges tested positive for the banned stimulant Heptaminol and failed to start stage 11 of the 2013 Giro d'Italia.[9][10] Georges blamed the positive result on the freely available product 'Ginkor Fort' (made from Ginkgo biloba).[11] On May 21 Georges 'B Sample' also tested positive for the stimulant[12] causing the team to voluntarily remove itself from the 2013 Criterium du Dauphine in accordance with MPCC rules.[13] As a result of the positive Georges was banned by the French Cycling Federation for 6 months.[14]
On March 10, 2015, the UCI announced that Lloyd Mondory had tested positive for EPO on February 17 in an out of competition test. As a result, Mondory was suspended pending the outcome of his B sample analysis.[15][16]
Team roster
- As of 30 April 2020.[17]
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Major wins
World & National champions
- 1997
- 1998
- 1999
- 2000
- 2001
- 2002
- 2003
- 2004
- 2006
- 2007
- 2008
- 2009
- 2010
- 2012
- 2014
- 2015
- 2017
- 2018
- 2019
References
- "Hung Up in Picardy, Hoping for Bigger Things". International Herald Tribune. Archived from the original on 2007-08-20. Retrieved 2007-08-06.
- "Cycling team rolls on to the big time". International Herald Tribune. Archived from the original on 2007-08-26. Retrieved 2007-08-06.
- "Histoire de l'equipe cycliste Ag2r Prevoyance". Ag2r non official supporters. Archived from the original on 8 August 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-06.
- "News shorts: AG2R renews through 2018, Androni on Kuota". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. 14 October 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
- http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/ag2r-la-mondiale-extends-sponsorship-through-2020-news-shorts/
- Cycling News. "Houanard provisionally suspended for EPO". Cyclingnews.com.
- "Steve Houanard provisionally suspended after A-sample positive for EPO". velonation.com.
- "Ag2r suspends Houanard after positive EPO test". VeloNews.com.
- Cycling News. "Sylvain Georges positive for Heptaminol". Cyclingnews.com.
- "Sylvain Georges returns positive A sample for Heptaminol, out of Giro d'Italia". velonation.com.
- Cycling News. "Georges takes blame for positive doping control". Cyclingnews.com.
- Cycling News. "Georges' B Sample also positive, UCI confirms". Cyclingnews.com.
- Peter Cossins. "Ag2r confirm they won't ride Dauphiné". Cyclingnews.com.
- Cycling News. "UCI wants Georges' ban extended to two years". Cyclingnews.com.
- "Ag2r's Lloyd Mondory positive for EPO - VeloNews.com". VeloNews.com.
- Cycling News. "Mondory returns adverse analytical finding for EPO". Cyclingnews.com.
- "Official presentation of the AG2R LA MONDIALE professional cycling team 2020". AG2R La Mondiale. Groupe AG2R La Mondiale. 10 December 2019. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
External links
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