Omega Pharma-Lotto loses three riders
Jean-Christophe Péraud has signed a two-year contract with Team AG2R, the third rider to announce his departure from Omega Pharma-Lotto on Friday, following Daniel Moreno and Leife Hoste.
“The AG2R-La Mondiale team has strengthened itself with a high-quality rider,” said team manager Vincent Lavenu. “Jean-Christophe Péraud will be an asset for the difficult stage races like the Tour de France, the Dauphiné or even Paris-Nice, which are our
preferred domain.”
The 33-year-old French rider became a professional road racer at the beginning of this season, with a one-year contract for the Belgian team. He began his career as a mountain-biker, culminating a silver-medal performance in cross-country at the 2008 Olympics,
and rode as an amateur road cyclist in 2009. He won the 2009 national time-trial competition and finished in 11th in the World Championships, earning him the ProTour attention he now enjoys.
“I am obviously very happy to have signed with the AG2R-La Mondiale team,” said Péraud. “My objectives are simple: my first participation in the Tour de France, and to try to win my first high level race, whether it’s a one-day race or a stage race.”
Daniel Moreno and Leife Hoste, will both be leaving Omega Pharma-Lotto for Team Katusha. Péraud and Moreno are both proven climbers, and Moreno will be helping the World Number One-ranked Joaquim Rodriguez through the mountains of the Grand Tours in 2011.
Rodriguez finished eighth in the Tour de France and fourth in the Vuelta a Espana this year, and seems to be on the fast track for a Grand Tour win. Katusha has also acquired Alberto Losada to support Rodriguez, as both are Catalonian riders.
Hoste, on the other hand, is a classics specialist who will be supporting Italian Filippo Pozzato, who will be leading the Italian team at the World Championships next week, in the Spring Classics next season.
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