AG2R La Mondiale Pro Cycling Team (Spain) - Alexandre Geniez : “A beautiful reward for all the work this summer”.

“It was a difficult day to handle. We did not think it would be a stage for the breakaway.
 We all got along well until the classified climb, then we took turns taking attacking each other. It was a bit like a game of poker. It was necessary to manage your resources well. You couldn’t invest too much energy before the right moment. And I had to watch out for the really dangerous riders. In the end, I did not know what to expect on this narrow road. We did not even see the finish line before the 300 meters mark, so we were searching for the signs in order to know when to start the sprint.
 After a good start to my season, it has now been six months since I last raised my arms in victory. This win is a great reward for all the work I did this summer. The Vuelta has been good to me. This is my third victory here. At this race, things work a little differently. Breakaways can often play for the stage win. And now after Tony won a stage, the whole team is working really well. It’s motivating for the future.”, Alexandre Geniez.

The Number 14:

Alexandre Geniez’s victory, following his successes at the Grand Prix La Marseillaise and the Tour de la Provence (Prologue + General Classification), is the 14th for the AG2R La Mondiale team this season.

The other victories:

Tony Gallopin:

• 7th stage Vuelta
• Time trial and general classification
• Etoile de Bessège

Oliver Naesen:

• Bretagne Classic – Ouest France
• Gediminas Bagdonas
• Lithuanian champion on the road and ITT

Pierre Latour:

• French National Time Trial Champion

Clément Venturini:

• 2nd stage Route d’Occitanie

Silvan Dillier:

• Route Adélie de Vitré

Romain Bardet:

• Faun Environnement – Classic de l’Ardèche Rhône Crussol

The News:

Two victories in one edition : a first for AG2R La Mondiale:

Following the victories by Alexis Gougear (2015) and Pierre Latour (2016), Tony Gallopin has won the third stage at the Vuelta for the AG2R La Mondiale team in the past four editions. Jan Kirsipuu (1998) and José Luis Arrieta (2006) had also been successful for the team in the past.