The team known as Credit Lyonnais will continue after a switch in management. The team finished a solid 11th in the 2010 season. The new management has quite a solid base to build off in the coming season, and management has set quite lofty, but atainable goals in the coming season.
Goals 2011:
Top 10, Team Standings Win, Criterium du Dauphine Libere Win, Paris-Nice Top 5, Tour de France Top 3, Vuelta a Espana
Final kits will be presented as they come available.
Edited by Levi4life on 21-04-2010 21:47
Contracts have been signed and sealed for the following riders: David Abal William Bonnet Dario Cataldo Dimitri Champion Mitch Docker John Gadret Cyril Gautier Simon Gerrans Adrian Laidler Sergio Pardilla Luigi Sestili Fabien Taillefour
These 12 will form a solid base from which to attack the coming season, and the goals the team has set. We are only looking to add a further 8 riders, to reach the minimum of 20. This should be fun!
Edited by Levi4life on 09-03-2010 17:54
David Abal will spend the season racing in the CT for Santander, while Justo Tenorio will replace him for the year in a 2 way loan deal.
Also Credit Lyonnais is proud to announce our first signing from free agency. South African Daryl Impey will likely be a key rider for the team in the coming years. He is a versatile rider with a strong sprint.
Simon Gerrans and Dario Cataldo have left the team.
Also Arnold Jeanesson has signed on. He will ride as a domestique and is a truly excellent catch for the price. Edited by Levi4life on 22-03-2010 22:28
France's next great Grand Tour rider, Romain Sicard, has signed on for the coming seasons. As soon as we signed hom though, we loaned him to El Al, who will monitor his development as a Neo Pro in the Continental tour. We hope that he can contest for results in the CT this year, and GT's next year.
Since our last update with the news on you Romain Sicard, much has happened. The Biggest news is the signing of Russian star and Grand Tour contender Denis Menchov. After a year off Menchov is ready to take the new season on.
Christian Vande Velde might be old, but he still has a good vibe about him. He will serve as mentor to the younger riders.
Phillip Thuaux is our Aussie addition, and will serve well as a domestique in the mountains. With the stiff competition other teams are going to be putting up, it will be good to have a rider of Phillip's strength to help out team leaders like Gadret and Menchov.
Pavel Korzh is a promising young russian rider. Formerly of the now defunct Team Ultimate, like Thuaux above, Korzh is a fine sprinter. PS: I know the picture isn't him
Speaking of Ultimate refugees, Dutch rider Ronan Van Zandbeek has also joined. He has a strong ability in TT's and he will get better.
And the Ultimate parade continues with Kevin Peeters. Like Korzh he is also a strong sprinter with room to grow.
Sebastien Minard joins from Starbucks as one of Credit-Lyonnais' French additions. Minard will ride as domestique most of the coming year.
There are deffinitly more announcements to come, and Credit Lyonnais begins to finalize it's roster.
edit: don't know what happened, and I am too lazy now to fix it
edit edit: rjc-fixed Edited by rjc_43 on 22-03-2010 23:09
Presenting part one of an unknown part series presenting Credit Lyonnais 2011!
Credit Lyonnais in 2011 will focus almost exclusively on stage races. The most important races for our little French team are of course, the Tour de France, Paris-Nice and Dauphine Libere. Our goals include a top 5 in le Tour and outright wins in the latter two. Additionally a top 3 in la Vuelta is a major team goal.
To achieve these lofty goals, Credit Lyonnais has the following riders contracted in the coming season.
Denis Menchov: The Russian stage racer will lead the team for one of the Grand Tours, although which is yet to be decided. His climbing ability, combined with a solid TT should ensure good finishes in most races he enters.
Giampaolo Caruso: A late addition to the team is Giampaolo Caruso. This Italian is an excellent addition to the team and will likely be given free reign in races like Tirreno-Adriatico and the Giro.
Edited by Levi4life on 21-04-2010 21:44
We are pleased to announce a partnership for the upcoming season with construction supply firm Lafarge. Our new jersey, designed by the ever excellent rjc_43 is below. It looks pretty sweet.
