Ag2r-La Mondiale
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
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.
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
2012 ProTour team
As of 1 January 2012.[4]
See also
References
External links